John Lewis, Asda, Morrisons, H&M, Dunelm, and Waitrose among 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards finalists
We're hugely pleased to present the finalists and shortlists for the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards, sponsored by 3D Cloud, Business France, and Retail Technology Show 2027. We received a record number of entries this year and many fantastic examples of technology excellence driving transformative change across the global retail sector.
Congratulations to all those who made it through the initial submission process! It’s now over to our star studded judging panel who will decide the winners to be announced at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London.
The event will be held on Wednesday, 4th November and consist of a drinks reception, three course meal, awards ceremony presided over by award winning stand-up comedian, presenter, actor and broadcaster, Aurie Styla, and after party until 1am.
Click here to book your place at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, 4th November.
Here’s a rundown of our 2026 shortlists and finalists (further information on each finalist to be announced over the next few days):
Bricks and Mortar Innovation
This award will go to a retailer enabling physical spaces to thrive via innovative technology, even as online shopping continues to grow. We’re looking for examples of reducing friction in the customer journey, offering improved experiences, and blurring the lines between channels.
Shortlist:
Bodycare and PMC
Dunelm and Enactor
Paul Smith and Sitoo
Pharma&Go and Sensei
Toolstation and eLocker
Waitrose and SOLUM
Supply Chain Innovation
This award highlights companies that are re-inventing and re-thinking retail supply chains via innovative advancements in technology.
Shortlist:
Belle AI
ARC by ChargeItSpot
OneRail and NVIDIA
Optimix Solutions
Scurri and The Perfume Shop
TCS
Theseus Robotics
THG Fulfil
Payments Innovation
This award recognises payment initiatives that are both innovative and customer and retailer friendly. We’re looking to reward a project that has the potential to increase a retailer’s competitiveness and effectiveness, and to improve the shopper experience. Bonus points if the project could be considered a first in the market.
Shortlist:
Croissant Pay
Ecommpay
Edenred Payment Solutions and New Look
Hozah AutoPay
Justt and Madison Reed
Nayax
Sticky
Zyntrix
Most Innovative UK Retailer
Who has been the UK’s most innovative, customer focused retailer this year? Judges are asked to look at highlighted tech deployments, pilots, initiatives etc and decide which retailer has been the most consistently forward thinking and customer centric over the last 12 months.
Shortlist:
DFS and 3D Cloud
Euro Car Parts and Commerce
Goddiva
Morrisons
Toolstation
Waitrose and SOLUM
Emerging Retail Technology Innovation of the Year - NEW CATEGORY
Various emerging retail technologies are blurring the lines between physical and digital retail, increasing operational efficiency and boosting customer experiences through the likes of automation, computer vision, machine learning, and AI.
This award will highlight projects involving emerging technologies across the omnichannel retail landscape that have gone beyond the proof-of-concept stage, scaling and delivering results for retailers/brands and their customers.
Shortlist:
AIMETECH
Augmodo
EDEKA and eyefactive
Fixit
Focal Systems
Goddiva
Hanshow
InnoXR Labs
Lily AI
Mys Tyler
shopreme
ZigZag
Retail Media Innovation - NEW CATEGORY
As the retail media boom continues into 2026, technology platforms are playing an increasingly important role, helping retailers build connected retail media propositions and enabling brands to target, optimise, and track campaigns with precision.
We’re looking to reward projects that have tapped innovative technologies to unlock revenue streams for retailers by monetising their first-party data and physical and digital stores, strengthening supplier relationships, and improving shopper experiences.
Shortlist:
Age-Gate by Adello
FashSYNC
Hanshow
Jisp
Lloyds Rewards
Particular Audience and Intersport Austria
RFID Project of the Year - NEW CATEGORY
This category shines a light on how RFID solutions are helping retailers increase visibility in their supply chains and stores, gain operational efficiencies and enhance customer satisfaction. We’re looking for successful implementations of RFID across the retail landscape, with use cases including inventory visibility, supply chain visibility, omnichannel offerings such as ship-from-store, buy online and pickup in store (BOPIS) and self-checkout systems.
Shortlist:
Checkpoint Systems and JD Sports
Edgbaston and Levy
Lager 157 and ClarityRFID
RADAR
Digital Transformation Project of the Year
This award celebrates those who are at the forefront of digital transformation in the retail space, achieved through the deployment of innovative technologies. Our judges will be looking for a company that has delivered a significant transformation project for a customer, such as integrating disparate systems, updating legacy technology, empowering the client to create seamless and personalised shopping experiences, and unlocking new possibilities to grow the business.
Shortlist:
Ann Summers and PMC
Dunelm and VoCoVo
East of England Co-op and Transaction Network Services (TNS)
Fortnum & Mason and Proximity
Intersport Elverys and Rezolve Ai
MKM Building Supplies and Commerce
Paul Smith and Sitoo
The Body Shop and GoPlaces
THG Ingenuity
WHSmith and SOLUM
Customer Experience Excellence
Economic pressures, shifting trust and increasing AI adoption are reshaping customer behaviour and their expectations of retailers. This award will go to an online and/or physical retailer that has understood and reacted in a positive fashion to these customer trends and patterns, by providing exceptional omnichannel customer experiences, powered by innovative technologies.
Shortlist:
Dark’s Bar, Lord’s Cricket Ground
Goddiva
Hockerty
Lloyds Banking Group
Yours Clothing and Poq
Omnichannel Retail Initiative of the Year
This award will go to a tech centric approach to retail that provides customers with a fully integrated shopping experience across bricks and mortar stores, online, mobile, and everything in between.
Shortlist:
Lyzer
SaleDock
Sitoo and Paul Smith
Stellar and Samsung
THG Studios
VS Labs
AI Innovation (UK)
After a barrage of hype, the retail space is now seeing many examples of artificial intelligence creating value and efficiency. This award will highlight AI projects across the UK omnichannel retail landscape that have gone beyond the proof-of-concept stage, scaling and delivering results.
Shortlist:
Bodycare and PMC
Furniture Connect
GroceryGuru
Iceland and SAI
John Lewis and FoundIt!
Levy and Kappture
Minimist
Snag and Patchworks
AI Innovation (Rest of World)
After a barrage of hype, the retail space is now seeing many examples of artificial intelligence creating value and efficiency. This award will highlight AI projects across the global omnichannel retail landscape that have gone beyond the proof-of-concept stage, scaling and delivering results.
Shortlist:
Logile and Vallarta Supermarkets
My Instore Radio
Profitmind
Screenix
Sphere
Sitoo
Slive.ai
TCS
Sustainable Retail Innovation
Traditionally, the biggest problem with sustainable technology solutions has been in the relatively high cost of implementation, often meaning that scaling them was not viable. Things change, however, with incentives, targets and climate pledges as well as the rapid iteration of innovative technologies driving down costs in various areas.
This award will go to a retailer or brand that has worked with technology suppliers to put sustainability at the core of its values. The winning entry will show how a company has boosted its green credentials whilst also demonstrating the tangible business benefits of sustainable practices.
Shortlist:
Gatekeeper Systems and Morrisons
Minimist
Pricer and Company Shop Group
SharkNinja and Ingram Micro Lifecycle
Best Data Analytics Driven Retail Initiative
This category shines a spotlight on innovative approaches to connecting, integrating and unifying data within retail organisations. We’re looking for solutions that help retailers turn vast amounts of data into actionable strategies, whether through customer segmentation, demand forecasting, product optimisation, or real-time decision-making.
Entries should demonstrate how data analytics powered by cutting-edge technology solutions is helping retailers deliver measurable improvements across the business.
Shortlist:
Circana
Datitude
EE Retail
Focal Systems and Village Super Market
Footasylum and invent.ai
HyperFinity and JD Sports
MRI Software and Sky
Quorso and Currys
Retail Express
Vusion and Kavanagh
Best Use of Automation in the Retail Sector
Many retailers are now embracing automation as they tackle various challenges and tap in to numerous opportunities across their businesses. This award will highlight automation projects across the omnichannel landscape that have resulted in retailers rethinking their operations, resulting in improved productivity, enhanced customer experiences, and competitive advantages.
Shortlist:
commercetools and Trail Appliances
EE Retail
Flip and Liquid I.V.
Furniture Connect
Goddiva
Lily AI
Optimum Retailing
Public Group
Retail Express
Snag and Patchworks
Inclusive Technology Innovation
We’ve decided to carve out a separate category to showcase what is being delivered in the inclusive shopping space, and shine a light on what is a huge, untapped retail customer/service market that suppliers and retailers are now really leaning in to and embracing more fully.
This award will go to a retailer or brand that has tapped innovative technology to put inclusion at the core of its values. The winning entry will show how a company has boosted its inclusive credentials whilst also demonstrating the tangible business benefits involved.
Shortlist:
Hockerty
Nūl
Sticky
Technology Vendor of the Year (UK)
This category celebrates companies that have developed innovative technologies and worked with retailers to transform the customer experience or back-end operations or both.
Shortlist:
Attensi
Datitude
Focal Systems
GoPlaces
GroceryGuru
Quail Digital
Quin AI
UiPath
Webtrends Optimize
Xiatech
Technology Vendor of the Year (Rest of World)
This category celebrates companies that have developed innovative technologies and worked with retailers to transform the customer experience or back-end operations or both.
Shortlist:
Deliverect
Fynd
HelmCore
Lily AI
Mys Tyler
Revieve
ShopperAI
Solink
Sitoo
Talkdesk
Startup of the Year
This award will recognise the startup with the most innovative technology offering and the company which is best placed to succeed in the long-term (management, funding, the retailers it is working with etc).
Shortlist:
Augmodo
Clavis Studio
Lyzer
Minimist
M11 Labs
Neato
SquareBySquare
StudioGo
TerzyApp
Theseus Robotics
Hospitality Technology Innovation - NEW CATEGORY
This category spotlights the companies deploying innovative technology to redefine how hospitality companies (including bars, restaurants, hotels, cinemas and entertainment venues) operate and engage guests. This award will highlight projects across the hospitality and leisure landscape that have resulted in businesses enhancing their operations, resulting in improved productivity, enhanced customer experiences, and competitive advantages.
Shortlist:
atis
Bar Tap, Wembley Stadium
Gonzo's Tea Room and Epos Now
NomNom
TARA by Net0link AI
Technology Implementation of the Year (UK)
This award recognises UK retail technology project excellence, both in delivery and outcomes. Implementation should have been completed between September 2025 and September 2026. Judges will be looking for clear project objectives, effective and innovative implementation and tangible and demonstrable results.
Shortlist:
Ann Summers and PMC
Asda and Deliverect
Card Factory and Retail Response
Castore and Patchworks
East of England Co-op and Transaction Network Services (TNS)
Great Northern Market, Manchester Airport T2
Iceland and SAI
John Lewis and FoundIt!
LeMieux
WHSmith and SOLUM
Technology Implementation of the Year (Rest of World)
This award recognises rest of world retail technology project excellence, both in delivery and outcomes. Implementation should have been completed between September 2025 and September 2026. Judges will be looking for clear project objectives, effective and innovative implementation and tangible and demonstrable results.
Shortlist:
Davines and Attensi
EDEKA and GEBOS
GEN-Y Hitch and Patchworks
Noken and nsign
Pharma&Go and Sensei
Quorso
QSR Brands and Fynd
TCS
Best Retailer/Technology Supplier Relationship
This award recognises a successful partnership between a retailer and a technology supplier, with an emphasis on the last 12 months and how said partnership has gone from strength to strength during that period.
Shortlist:
Asda and Evolve
Asda and Deliverect
Card Factory, Retail Response and Flooid
Dunelm and VoCoVo
East of England Co-op and Transaction Network Services (TNS)
H&M and TCS
Matalan and Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions
The Fresh Market and Vusion
TRIP and GoPlaces
Yours Clothing and Poq
RTIH Editor’s Choice Award
RTIH Editor, Scott Thompson, will pick his stand out entries from across the 23 aforementioned categories. Winners to be announced at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, 4th November.
Overall Winner – Sponsored by 3D Cloud
Our judging panel will pick their stand out entry from across the 23 aforementioned categories. Winner to be announced at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, 4th November.
BECOME A 2026 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS SPONSOR
For further information on how to become a 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards sponsor, please complete the below form and we will get back to you asap.
Why become a sponsor?
✓ Position your brand alongside leading retailer and retail technology brands
✓ Network with retail executives both during the run up to and during the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November
✓ Gain access to post-event data capture and analytics with detailed feedback on sponsorship activities
✓ Showcase your innovative solutions to help retailers thrive in an omnichannel world via the likes of promotional articles both on our website and in our printed magazine, emails to our database of daily e-newsletter subscribers, social media posts, and showcasing of your company at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony.
