At the RETAIL TECH DAY on 19 November in Vienna, the Austrian Retail Association presented the Retail Innovation Awards for the tenth time. Companies from Austrian retail, wholesale/B2B, and e-commerce were invited to participate.
Winners were selected across the four categories “Best In-Store Solution”, “Best Online/Mobile Solution”, “Best Omnichannel Innovation” and “Best Digital Transformation”. Retail Association Managing Director Rainer Will celebrated the impressive range of innovative concepts that are driving retail forward.
Florian Haas, Head of Startup Ecosystem and Brand & Growth at the partnering EY Austria consultancy, added: “Constant and consistent development of business models is critical. True innovation makes shopping easier, increases frequency and loyalty, and improves efficiency and cost-effectiveness.”
Best In-Store Solution
The Award for the best in-store solution went to the REWE-Group’s retail chain Billa and its technology-partner Vusion Group for their Captana solution, an AI-powered camera system that monitors shelves in real time. By automatically triggering refill tasks when items are missing, Captana reduces out-of-stock situations, eases staff workload, and improves product availability for customers.
Best Omnichannel Innovation
The technology and electronics retail chain MediaMarkt, part of the German Ceconomy group which was acquired by the Chinese JD.com earlier this year, was awarded with the prize for best omnichannel innovation for its cooperation with Wolt Drive. The Wolt Drive x MediaMarkt solution enables the retailer to deliver electronics directly from its stores within 90 minutes, significantly elevating customer experience, sales, local market strength, and logistical efficiency.
Best Online/Mobile Solution
In this category the award went to Hektor, an AI-driven digital lawncare advisor built on Rasendoktor’s expert knowledge. Available around the clock, Hektor answers customer questions, provides verified product recommendations, and uses image recognition to assess lawn health. Benefits include enhanced service quality, reduced staff workload, and a boost in webshop conversion.
Best Digital Transformation
Finally, Spar impressed the jury with its digital product universe and received the “Best Digital Transformation” award. The retail chain has built an online platform that enables customers to browse over 30,000 items and shows real-time availability. Thus enhancing transparency, minimizing frustration and creating a predictable shopping experience that strengthens brick-and-mortar retail.
