Smart retail technology – apps, self-checkout & unmanned stores

EHI presents the 2020 reta awards for the best technology solutions in retailing

For the 13th time, EHI has chosen the winners of the reta awards. During the awards ceremony at historical soap factory Dr. Thompson’s Seifenfabrik in Düsseldorf, an event held as part of EuroShop 2020, three equal-ranking prize winners were honoured in each of the four categories.

Category: Best Customer Experience

This award is given to retailers who have introduced forward-looking methods and technologies for improving customer loyalty and customer satisfaction. Our prize winners are:

Bonprix has integrated the advantages of the online and offline worlds in its “fashion connect” app. The customer can just scan the garments they want with their smartphone, choose their size and reserve a fitting room. The chosen garments will be waiting for them when they arrive. Thanks to integrated payment options, paying through the app is just a few clicks away. Developed by GK Software, the app can be integrated seamlessly into the SAP ecosystem and works together with all other in-store technologies in real time.

Miele’s store in Amsterdam takes customers on a digital, visual and tactile tour of the entire world of the Miele brand. As they shop, customers are inspired and informed by virtual shelf extensions and digital product information. Large-format screens displaying emotionally relevant content and wall sized LED displays that are accented with intelligent lighting round out the concept developed by xplace.

Würth and Wanzl have made shopping around the clock a reality. While the sales staff is there for customers during the day, it is the Würth app that is there for them outside of regular opening hours. With the help of the app, customers can enter the store anytime and scan the desired products themselves. The contents of the shopping cart are automatically identified at the self-checkout while article surveillance systems prevent shoplifting.

Category: Best Enterprise Solution

In this category, retail enterprises are singled out which have enhanced their efficiency by developing and implementing innovative systems and technologies. Our prize winners are:

Cordes & Gräfe has made life easier for craftsmen. Thanks to the innovative solution “GC CarLoad”, products can be delivered directly to the boot of a customer’s car overnight. The costly management of physical keys is made superfluous by the digital keys from T-Systems’ “MIA Mobile Identity & Access”.

Getränke Hoffmann has made its shopfitting even more efficient. Together with VR Insight, the beverage seller developed a virtual reality app with which stores can be planned virtually. Even before a store is actually built, it can be “perambulated”, and a variety of scenarios can be tested in a virtual space and in real time for the fine tuning of product placement, shelving, in-store promotions and furnishing elements.

MediaMarktSaturn has improved the satisfaction of its customers. CB4’s algorithm, which analyses historical sales data and uses this data as the basis for revealing the patterns of consumer demand and correlating sales for each store, helped optimise product inventory in stores and improve the presentation of goods. An app informs store managers of non-sellers and makes suggestions for possible solutions.

Category: Best In-store Solution

Retailers who demonstrably have achieved operational value added through the use of technology at the POS proved themselves in this category. Our prize winners are:

Ikea Italy prevents long queues in its dining areas. This is made possible by iTray – AI-based self checkouts by Diebold Nixdorf that use cameras and sensors to autonomously identify which dish or dishes are on a customer’s tray. Customers merely need to confirm the product and can then enjoy their food. This gives the staff more time to spend on customers.

Metro optimised the checkout process at its self-checkouts. Customers can scan their selected products themselves using an app on their smartphone or with a handheld self-service scanner. At checkout, a validation unit verifies the purchases in a multi-step process developed by Bizerba in which articles that have not been scanned are reliably identified.

Netto Marken-Discount has introduced innovative packaging technology for its self-checkouts. Looking for barcodes or trying to scan unreadable codes on damaged packaging can make the self checkout process and the normal checkout process a lengthy and frustrating experience for customers. Digimarc’s innovative solution prints additional “undetectable” barcodes onto packaging in various locations; having these codes in addition to the regular EAN code means the scanning process goes quickly and always works.

Category: Best Omnichannel Solution

This award goes to retail enterprises that have modernised their IT infrastructure and linked the online and offline worlds with each other. Our prize winners are:

Decathlon USA operates some of its pilot stores as cashless stores. This is made possible by the mobile, cloud-based omnichannel solution by NewStore, which has been integrated into existing mobile payment terminals. Using an iPhone, store staff can, for example, confirm product inventory or process a purchase using a mobile checkout station from any location inside the store. This process involves the physical shopping basket being registered via RFID at the checkout station. Using a QR code, the shopping basket is then transferred into the customer app, where payment can be made directly.

Engelhorn has created a new partner platform. Using a marketplace solution by Tradebyte, partner companies can offer products for sale in Engelhorn’s online shop, and these partners are also listed as suppliers in the online shop. This has expanded the former range of products to include those offered by partners while also improving the availability of products.

Otto has optimised its platform concept. When customers browse on otto.de, they can enter their postal code to see whether a particular product is available within 50 km of their home. The online shop currently provides information on local availability for more than 29,000 products.

Apply now for the reta awards 2021: www.reta-europe.com