Cologne 02-27-2024 - Yesterday, EHI chose the winners of the reta awards for the 17th time. The award ceremony as part of EuroCIS 2024 was held in a historical soap factory in Düsseldorf, Dr. Thompson’s Seifenfabrik. Three equally-ranked prize winners accepted the award in the following five categories: Best Customer Experience, Best Enterprise Solution, Best In-store Solution, Best Connected Retail Solution and Best AI and Robotics Application.
Best Customer Experience
Eintracht Frankfurt (Top Supplier*: Payfree)
The football club Eintracht Frankfurt has opened the first cashless fan shop of the German football league. The 30-square-metre shop opens whenever there is a match in Frankfurt and offers seamless paying by card or smartphone. RFID-tagged items pass through a u-shaped scanner at the checkout for a fast, contactless transaction.
Netto Marken-Discount (Top Supplier: Wanzl)
Netto Marken-Discount has introduced a new shopping trolley system in line with the cashless trend. Customers can unlock their shopping trolleys using an app and NFC technology, meaning that conventional coins are no longer required. Netto's hybrid concept appeals to both digital-savvies and traditional customers. The system has been launched in selected test stores in Bavaria.
Tegut (Top Supplier: Autonomo, Snabble)
Tegut is redefining grocery shopping in Germany with its smart store "Teo", which offers round-the-clock access to food - whether in rural areas, busy locations or urban neighbourhood. The innovative approach includes Grab & Go and Tap & Go functions that meet today's customer needs. "Teo" is available in both freestanding and indoor versions.
Best Enterprise Solution
Rewe Group (Top Supplier: Flip)
The Rewe Group has introduced a new app for retail employees that enables direct communication between store managers, store employees and the head offices all over Germany. This is particularly beneficial for multi shift work. It also provides access to news and information, a learning platform, and digital shift plans, streamlining processes and enhancing efficiency.
Schwarz IT (Top Supplier: Things Board)
With the IoT.Schwarz platform, Schwarz Group is tackling the complexity of the diverse technical equipment in supermarkets. Schwarz IT relies on the proven ThingsBoard platform from the provider of the same name, which standardizes technologies and use cases in more than 13,000 supermarkets in 32 countries. Therefor each store has customized, authorized access to its data.
Würth (Top Supplier: Würth IT)
Würth has developed Pico voice and chat assistant to speed up key sales processes. The digital assistant enables user enquiries in real time and provides information and documents by voice or chat. As a result, Pico is able to perform simple, repetitive tasks for sales representatives and office staff around the clock.
Best Instore Solution
Douglas (Top Supplier: Komsa Services and Samsung Electronics)
Douglas has introduced all-in-one smartphones and complementary software to improve its in-store processes. The integration of omnichannel services on the shop floor ensures seamless operations and allows out-of-stock items to be conveniently delivered to customers' homes.
E-Center Warnow Park (Top Supplier: Captana)
E-Center Warnow Park, the largest Edeka-outlet in northern Germany, has implemented user-friendly shelf camera solutions to improve operational efficiency. Using wireless cameras and sensors, the system captures real-time shelf data. The solution detects gaps on the shelves and prompts staff with tasks via the app for MDE devices.
Leroy Merlin (Top Supplier: Hanshow)
To help their customers navigate and find products in their large DIY stores, Leroy Merlin France sets out to bridge the gapubica between the digital and physical worlds. In addition to installing state-of-the-art electronic labels, the company implements features such as up-to-the-minute pricing linked to their e-commerce site or customer reviews to improve the shopping experience.
Best Connected Retail Solution
Benetton (Top Supplier: Cegid)
The Benetton Group has enhanced its in-store experience by implementing Cegid Retail, a cloud-native POS and unified commerce platform. The aim was to create a seamless omnichannel shopping journey. The solution was deployed globally to unify sales channels, optimise inventory and personalise brand interactions.
Edeka Südwest (Top Supplier: Liquam, Avenit, Blackforestbytes and Maexware Solutions)
Edeka group in south-west Germany has developed a shop ecosystem that covers various multi-channel e-commerce operations for independent retailers. The system includes click & collect, merchant delivery, 24/7 stores and drive-through, and is designed to be modular and scalable. The aim is to streamline processes and ensure flexibility and efficiency across different e-commerce models for independent Edeka retailers, including seamless integration with enterprise resource planning.
Markant (Top Supplier: adesso)
Markant has launched a European platform that serves as a central point of contact for bundling and managing the daily challenges of pre-suppliers, industry, service providers, and retailers across the entire value chain. The platform is open to industry, retailers, and service providers, offering a unified user interface that promotes efficiency, digitalization, and bundling effects.
Best AI & Robotics Application
Colruyt (Top Supplier: Colruyt Group Smart Technics)
The Colruyt Lowest Prices store in Halle, Germany, has unveiled an innovative easy checkout system that uses AI to automatically scan products as workers transfer them from one shopping cart to another. Developed by Smart Technics, the system aims to increase efficiency by up to a fifth and provide a more ergonomic experience for staff, who can now use both hands.
dm-Drogeriemarkt & dm TECH (Top Supplier: Ubica Robotics)
The autonomous shelf scanning robots utilize advanced cameras and sensors to create accurate, efficient, and cost-effective digital store twins of the dm-stores. They include realograms and stock information. For instance, automatic detection of out-of-stock items enhances the customer experience through better product availability and significantly reduces the need for manual inventory checks.
Kaufland (Top Supplier: BSS Bohnenberg)
Kaufland has introduced an automated picking system (AKA) that prepares for (semi-)automated processes. The system, which uses pulling and pushing instead of lifting to move the crates, focuses on reducing employee workload, fast availability for customers, reliability and scalability. Flexible in the processing of reusable crates and disposable cartons, it contributes to efficiency and practicality.
*Top-Supplier Retail
EHI and Lebensmittel Zeitung will once again bestow upon the reta award winners’ technology partners the title of “Top Supplier Retail” this year. The honoured service providers range from start-ups to global players. What they all have in common is that, in the eyes of the reta jury, they have made an outstanding contribution to the solutions of their retail partners. The coveted title has been awarded since 2015 and is already regarded as a seal of quality in the retail tech industry.
More information on the award winners: www.reta-europe.com
Contact EHI
Imke Hahn, Project Manager of Research IT, +49 (0)221/57993-991, hahn@ehi.org
Ute Holtmann, Director of Public Relations, Tel.: +49 (0)2 21/5 79 93-42, holtmann@ehi.org
Publisher
EHI Retail Institute e. V., Spichernstraße 55, 50672 Cologne, Tel.: +49 221/57993-0, Fax: -45
About EHI
EHI is a research, training and consultancy institute for the retail industry and its partners. It has some 80 employees. The international EHI network comprises some 850 member companies from the retail, consumer goods and capital goods industries, along with service providers. EHI is also a shareholder of GS1 Germany and FoodPlus. It is a partner of Messe Düsseldorf and important trade shows like EuroShop. The President of EHI is Markus Tkotz, Managing Director of Markant. The Managing Director of EHI is Michael Gerling.
