Congratulations Tech Innovation Award Winners!
The most difficult part of this year’s Technology Innovation Awards program was classifying the winning retailers’ solutions. As we move further into an omni-channel world, the lines between brick and mortar and digital are becoming increasingly blurred.
Indeed, a quick look at or winners has convinced me that we can no longer use our former technology categories of in-store systems, enterprise, supply chain, and online – they are just not specific enough. Stop & Shop’s Scan It! Mobile solution is a perfect example. The solution is based on a mobile app, yet it is technology for which a major function applies to the brick and mortar store. Albertsons’ Best Road Trip Ever! Contest is another. It was hosted on Albertsons’ website, but incorporates social components as well. So for this year’s awards we were as specific as possible with our categorizing, occasionally including sub-categories, as well.
That being said, what has remained the same among our winners solutions is this: their level of innovation continues to reach new heights. Congratulations to our winners!
Ahold USA/Stop & Shop
Category: In-Store/Mobile
Vendor involved: Catalina
Ahold USA’s latest iteration of its Scan It! Mobile enables shoppers to use their personal mobile devices to scan, tally and bag groceries, checkout, and receive personalized mobile offers based on their shopping history. Currently available at more than 360 Stop & Shop stores, the solution was developed to streamline the grocery shopping experience with one easy-to-use mobile app.
Albertsons, LLC
Category: Online
Vendor Involved: Albertsons LLC
Albertsons’ Best Road Trip. Ever! Was an online and in-store, progressive-prize digital/social engagement campaign where customers create "road trip" stories by captioning sponsor product images and sharing them on social networks in an effort to gain votes for their story.
Brookshire Grocery Co.
Category: Enterprise/Marketing
Vendor involved: SAP AG
Tyler, Texas-based Brookshire Grocery Co. had the goal of integrating its promotion planning, creation, forecasting and execution processes to improve promotion effectiveness and profitability. To accomplish this, the grocer developed more accurate promotions and streamlined promotion processes internally and within departments.
Price Chopper Supermarkets
Category: Mobile
Vendors involved: Mercatus Technologies and Google/Zavers
Price Chopper developed smartphone apps for iPhone, Android and iPad that are fully integrated, and function in real time with Price Chopper.com website feature functionality. Coupons are also integrated digitally into the Schenectady, N.Y.-based grocer’s POS when the customer presents a loyalty card.
Raley's Family of Fine Stores
Category: Social Media
Vendors Involved: BzzAgent / dunnhumby
Something Extra Try-It is a social advocacy program designed to encourage participants to spread buzz about various Raley’s products and offers via social media platforms.
Sprouts Farmers Markets
Category: Enterprise/Business Intelligence
Vendor involved: Manthan Systems
Sprouts implemented Manthan Systems’ ARC BI platform and Merchandise Analytics software in order to take leverage its Big Data capabilities and meet the reporting needs of sales, labor and margins across all its stores -- and to provide a "single version of the truth" for the combined stores.
Full coverage of each winner will be featured in our January 2014 issue of PG Tech, and PG will present its Tech Innovation Awards Monday, January 13 at noon in the Stagnito Media Booth during the NRF Show in New York.