Image courtesy of Home Retail Group / Argos

Interactive digital walls, digital catalogues and e-receipts have been recognised at the Retail Week Technology Awards 2014 as brilliant technology projects in retail.

Thomson, holiday design store, won ‘Digital store of the year’ with its external mood wall that aims to get passers-by in the holiday mood and an interactive map that allows shop visitors to explore the world as they look for a holiday destination. An interactive table also guides customers on hotels and offers a ‘mood’ image search tool that selects holidays according to the images that inspire them.

Meanwhile Argos, digital concept store, received highly commended in the ‘Digital store of the year’ category for its introduction of tablet digital catalogues and digital promotional screens. Argos did go on however to win ‘Crossflow payment innovation of the year’ with its near field communication (NFC) roll out that allows shoppers to tap into Argos offers and app via their mobile devices.

Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions took ‘Multichannel service of the year’ with its e-receipts programme that uses booths to identify customers in store, digitise their receipts and then send them electronically to their online accounts. The tool has given added insight into customer preferences while also helping the customer to track spending and gain digital loyalty points.

House of Frasers click and collect service was also highly commended in this category being the first of its kind in the UK. The department store did win ‘Digital launch of the year’ though, with its personalised online fitting service that advises customers on sizing in order to boost customer confidence when buying online, increase sales and reduce returns.

Top Shop expanded its fashion store experience by taking customers to a virtual fashion show, which won ‘Project of the year’. Shoppers in Oxford Street were able to sit front row at a catwalk show by wearing Oculus Rift headsets.

Shop Direct was awarded the BT Grand Prix winner of winners prize. The company received ‘Best IT Operations’, ‘Payment project of the year’ and the  ‘Supply chain and fulfilment excellence award’. The projects included making its website available for 100% of the time leading to a boost in sales, securing telephone payment interactions and overhauling its supply chain and fulfilment operations to increase delivery options.

Source: Retail Week