UNIMARKT, KASTNER, HERVIS as well as ON CAGR – these are this year’s winners “Austrian Retail Innovation Awards”. This award recognizes trading companies operating in Austria for the use of outstanding and innovative technology solutions. The coveted trophies were awarded for the ninth time this year – again in collaboration with EY as patron.
Florian Haas from the management consultancy EY presented the awards together with the managing director of the trade association Rainer Will as part of the RETAIL TECH DAY 2024 on November 21st in Vienna.
Around 50 submissions, 10 nominees, 4 winners
A shortlist of the most outstanding projects was drawn up in advance from around 50 submissions, and 10 companies were ultimately nominated for the Retail Innovation Awards. A top-class jury chaired by Florian Haas (EY) finally determined the winners.
Kategorie “Best Instore Innovation”
Winner: Die UNIMARKT Group with their dry fog project for fresh food in cooperation with partners Chromulus. Dry mist is based on the principle of ultrasonic nebulization of water and air. The mist flows from fine nozzles above the fresh produce, ensuring a significantly longer shelf life. Not only does it look beautiful, it also avoids plastic packaging and reduces food waste.
Other innovative nominations:
- MediaMarkt for the innovative store design in the Tech Village Graz Seiersberg
- Bakery The Man for the payment innovation “Tap on Mobile” from Payone (smartphones as payment terminals)
Kategorie “Best Online/Mobile Innovation”
Winner: Die KASTNER Group in cooperation with FactFinder with their Predictive Basket, which uses machine learning to generate daily, highly relevant product suggestions. The AI analyzes order patterns, general shopping behavior and seasonal cycles so that shoppers find an automated list of suggestions that can be added to the shopping cart with just one click, without searching and without forgetting anything.
Other innovative nominations:
- Austrian Post and Shopping with the payment innovation PostPay, which enables an ordering process without immediate payment
- DOUGLAS for its digital sampling solution in cooperation with partner Sopost
Kategorie “Best Omnichannel Solution”
Winner: HERVIS for its two innovations, Footscan and Skilivery. With the foot scan, you can scan your own foot from the comfort of your own home using your smartphone. Based on the foot scan, the ideal shoe size is suggested to the customer by the respective manufacturer. Skilivery, on the other hand, is a further development of classic ski rental: you can conveniently order online and have all the equipment delivered directly to your accommodation and picked up again.
Other innovative nominations:
- LIDL for the new payment system Lidl Pay, with which purchases can be paid directly via the Lidl Plus app
- HORNBACH for its three omnichannel innovations: multi-watch list, ICR-capable vouchers across all channels and ordering custom-made goods by telephone via online offer acceptance
Special Prize “Green Innovation”
Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time, which is why the executive board of the trade association has decided to introduce a special prize for “Green Innovation” at the Retail Innovation Award. The aim is to honor innovative retail solutions with a particular impact.
Winner: VOM FASS – a retailer that offers wines, spirits and oils in bulk to be bottled on site for customers – has taken a pioneering role in supply chain transparency. The Seedtrace platform shows the entire supply chain of the products, where they come from, which route they took and how much money the farmers and, if applicable, cooperatives received for them.
Austrian trade is one of the most innovative industries in the country
Rainer WillManaging Director of the trade association: “According to a current study, Austria is one of the ten most innovative economies in the world. Domestic retailers are already putting many things into practice and are therefore one of the most innovative sectors in the country. Prize winner Unimarkt shows how food waste can be effectively reduced, Kastner brings AI in wholesale, at Hervis convenience is very important and Vom Fass sets new standards in sustainability. This is what innovation in Austria looks like through retail.”
Florian HaasHead of Startup Ecosystem and Head of Brand & Growth at EY Austria: “Especially in economically challenging times, consistently developing your own business model is critical to the success of every retailer. On the one hand, innovations in retail should make shopping easier for us and thus increase frequency and customer loyalty. On the other hand, they should simplify processes and therefore make them more effective and cost-effective. We at EY support this with full conviction.”