The Bavarian fashion store Gewandhaus Gruber, which operates nine shops in the vicinity of Munich, was awarded a prize for its virtual customer loyalty system. Instead of falling back on the usual loyalty cards, Gruber goes for innovation: after a one-off registration using their identity card, bank card and personal fingerprint, the customers can pay at all Gruber checkouts by simply placing their finger on a scanner. In doing so they also collect additional bonus points.

The Red Market discount brand of the Belgian food retail chain Delhaize receives a prize for its innovative all self-scanning shopping concept. Using a terminal the customers scan the barcodes, after which the product and the total price of the purchase appear on a colour screen. At the checkout only the terminal has to be handed in to effectuate the payment. It is no longer required to place the articles on the conveyer.

Parfümerie Douglas has been granted an award for its interactive store concept for young customers with which new POS technologies are tested. On touchscreen terminals suitable scents are recommended or individual make-up tips are given. Paper strips which are first placed on the forehead and then under a scanner become skin type consultants. The personal test results and pictures can directly be posted on facebook.

Unicoop Firenze, with 102 shops in Tuscany and 14 more in Rome the largest co-op in Italy, uses a uniform branch platform in all its stores with which the various applications in the outlet can be operated through web services. By using SOA and ARTS standards two separate self-scanning and scales solutions are connected to the system. In addition, queue management and mobile shopping applications can simply be tied in also.

The specialised Radio Heller, Euronics XXL store in Cham has been awarded a prize for its gender- and age-related customer frequency measurement system. The technique is used to measure the customer flows at the entrance and the exit of the shop. The information gathered is then analysed and compared to the data in the ERP system. This makes it possible to optimise staff deployment planning and to gear the goods ranges better to the various customer groups, as well as enabling a better evaluation of the advertising actions.

In its 87 shops in Germany Poco Domäne offers a wide range of goods in the field of interior decoration and renovation. This particular award was given for the implementation of a cash management solution which automates the entire cash handling at the point of sale. For that purpose the checkout zones have been equipped with a note and coin recycling system which, after the goods have been scanned by the cashier, allows the customers to carry out the payment and change process themselves. In addition, the system also offers a method of transporting the moneys received to the cash office. That way a closed money circuit can be created within the outlet.

The Edeka Group, Germany´s number one in grocery retailing, received an award for its LUNAR project. In the “Market of the future”, EDEKA displays on about 120 sqm the realm of retail processes and shows innovative ways towards more cost-effectiveness, flexibility and customer satisfaction. End-to-end processes from agency business to cash systems supported by up-to-date technology lead to an extraordinary new shopping experience.

Kyaia FLY London – This project demonstrates the advantages of the use of RFID technology along the entire value chain, from the production stage and the supply chain to the retail outlets. The same technology is used to address the customers in an innovative manner and makes it possible to react quickly to the wishes of the customers.

The worldwide active British supermarket chain Tesco has been awarded a prize for its use of the mobile iPad app as a mobile business intelligence solution. With the mobile device information about the shops can be called up at any time on different dashboards. Information is always up-to-date and relevant.  Users are focused on the KPIs that will make a difference to the business and are able to evaluate their success and that of their team instantaneously.