AI at scale dominates reta Awards

Operational artificial intelligence, computer vision and platform architectures define this year's winners as EuroShop Turns 60

The 19th reta awards were presented this week during EuroShop 2026 in Düsseldorf, as the show marked its 60th anniversary. Hosted by EHI Retail Institute, the awards ceremony recognised applied innovation across retail technology.

Across categories, judges singled out production-grade artificial intelligence (AI) projects embedded into core retail operations. Computer vision, multi-agent systems and real-time data platforms moved beyond pilots into scaled deployments, while the first-ever Chinese winner was recognised—underlining the programme's growing international reach.

Three equally ranked winners were honoured in each core category, with one winner in a special marketing technology (MarTech) Innovation category.

Artificial Intelligence

Albert Czechia (Supplier: Mettler Toledo) – AI-powered item recognition for unpackaged goods at checkout.

• Use case: Computer vision identifies loose produce without barcodes, reducing manual errors and accelerating throughput.

Netto Marken-Discount (Supplier: Trigo Vision) – Real-time computer vision loss prevention via existing CCTV.

• Use case: Automated detection of unpaid items and suspicious behaviour at self-checkout.

MC Sonae (Supplier: Sensei) – 1,200 sq m autonomous store in Portugal with 11,000+ stockkeeping units (SKUs).

• Use case: Sensor fusion and AI enable checkout-free shopping, including fresh counters, with digital receipts.

Checkout & Smart Store

Colruyt Group (Supplier: Expresso Deutschland) – SmartShopper EyeQ trolley with cameras and weighing sensors.

• Use case: In-cart product recognition and automatic produce weighing, plus location-based promotions.

Lekkerland (Supplier: in-house) – REWE To Go Smart Store at Frankfurt Airport.

• Use case: Card-based entry and sub-30-second grab-and-go transactions, including age-restricted items.

Lengermann & Trieschmann (Suppliers: Vusion, GK Artificial Intelligence for Retail) – Intelligent Price Engine with digital hang tags.

• Use case: Dynamic pricing across 20,000 fashion items based on demand and inventory signals.

Customer Experience

China Resources Vanguard (Supplier: Hanshow Technology) – Near-field communication-enabled electronic shelf labels.

• Use case: Smartphone tap-to-engage shelf promotions without apps or QR codes.

Kaufland (Suppliers: Schwarz Digits, Bizerba) – "MyOrder" kiosk-based omnichannel service model.

• Use case: In-store ordering synced in real time to service counters and scales.

MediaMarktSaturn (Supplier: Accesa IT Group) – AI-supported "Smart Manual" chatbot.

• Use case: Always-on product guidance via QR code to reduce friction and returns.

Employee Empowerment

Deichmann (Supplier: in-house) – Integrated store operations and reporting app, called Qualitize.

• Use case: Task management, photo documentation and speech-to-text reporting via single sign-on.

Rossmann (Supplier: Scheer IMC) – Gamified de-escalation training in its learning management system.

• Use case: Scenario-based simulations to improve conflict management skills.

Thalia (Supplier: in-house) – "Minerva" multi-agent AI assistant for store staff.

• Use case: Dialogue-based product search and knowledge graph queries on iPad.

Supply Chain Excellence

Coop Sverige (Supplier: SSI Schäfer) – Highly automated logistics centre.

• Use case: Integrated material flows from goods receipt to robot-assisted palletising.

Globus (Suppliers: consenso, SAP) – Intelligent Data Modelling on SAP HANA.

• Use case: Automated master data cleansing across millions of records daily.

Marc O'Polo (Suppliers: KPS, SAP) – SAP S/4HANA-based omnichannel replenishment platform.

• Use case: Real-time, AI-driven forecasting to optimise stock and procurement.

Special Category: MarTech Innovation

Koçtaş (Supplier: Tani Marketing Technologies) – Loyalty-as-a-Service platform.

• Use case: Application programming interface-driven microservices unify omnichannel data and enable real-time personalisation.

This year also marked the 18th year that Retail Technology magazine publisher Miya Knights has served as a judge for the reta Awards. The full jury list is available on the official reta Awards jury page.

Commenting on the 2026 winners, Miya Knights commented: "What stood out to the jury was the maturity of AI deployments; it was embedded into core operations, from loss prevention and pricing to colleague enablement and logistics. 

"We are also seeing the awards' influence extend beyond Europe, with the first Chinese retailer recognised this year. As reta approaches its 20th anniversary in 2027 (as part of the annual EuroCIS event, its role as a benchmark for globally scalable retail innovation goes from strength to strength."