Giant Eagle and Swiftly tackle outdated and fragmented alcohol promotions area

Swiftly has announced a partnership with Giant Eagle, a US food and pharmacy retailer, involving its Alcohol Cashback programme.

“Alcohol promotions have been one of the most outdated and fragmented areas of retail,” says Henry Kim, CEO at Swiftly.

“This partnership with Giant Eagle represents a major advancement in how leading retailers are leveraging technology to simplify execution, capture new revenue opportunities, and modernise their customer experience in a complex regulatory environment. It’s a strong example of how collaboration and innovation can deliver measurable value across the entire retail ecosystem.”

“Our focus has always been on convenience, innovation, and delivering meaningful value to our guests,” says Justin Weinstein, EVP and Chief Merchandising and Marketing Officer at Giant Eagle.

“Partnering with Swiftly allows us to enhance our rebate process with new digital capabilities while deepening engagement with both our customers and supplier partners. This collaboration also supports our broader digital strategy to make every aspect of the shopping experience more seamless and rewarding.”

2026 RTIH Innovation Awards

Digital retail will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards will open for entries in April. They celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Thursday, 15th October.

Check out our 2025 winners here.

Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”

“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”

He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”

Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.