Technology Innovation Award

Over the past year, which of your brand’s innovations enabled your retail partner to demonstrate a new technology to shoppers in a way that really excited them?

This could be any innovation: a feature, a product, new product design or the creation of a whole new category. It could also be the reinvention or shifting of a whole category, e.g. creating higher value for the whole category.

Sustainability Award

The TCG retail industry is increasingly conscious of its environmental responsibilities. It is clear that consumer and legislative pressures are also building and are encouraging or even forcing businesses and manufacturers to take dramatic steps to improve sustainability. This category focuses on cutting-edge innovations and strategic solutions that are starting to deliver positive and significant environmental improvements and/or social benefits.

Over the past two years, has your company started or implemented a game-changing innovation or initiative? Can you demonstrate leading environmental improvements in areas such as emissions, consumption of natural resources, waste and recycling or people benefits along the value chain?

Retailer Award

In a year dominated by the pandemic, shutdowns and strong consumer behaviour shifts, can you as a retailer* demonstrate real use cases of innovation? In which ways did you successfully adapt your business model?

Examples:

• Shift to a mobile-first strategy. Store network became extended arm to online (‘One Retail’)
• Real-time video call feature with a sales associate who is physically in a store
• Possibility of in-store appointment (app-based)
• Drive-In (contactless curbside pickup of online orders)
• Fast product delivery (stores partly used as DCs)
• Punctual delivery to customers (precise delivery window)
• Switch to paperless documentation (warranties, invoices, contracts etc.)
• Any other meaningful innovation along the customer journey or value chain

*Tech retailer: click & brick retailer, pure player or pure player physical stores for both brand and service purposes