European Retail Solutions Awards 2008 shortlist announced

Now in their eighth year, the awards are held on Wednesday 25th June, the middle night of the re-launched Retail Solutions exhibition at London's ExCeL centre, 24th-26th June, and will see some of Europe's best-known retailers recognised and rewarded at the gala evening held at the exciting new venue of Old Billingsgate Market, London.

The awards are the highest accolade in the retail technology industry and last year attracted over 800 senior retail executives and vendors from around Europe. This year, competition has been tougher than ever with a huge increase in the number of entrants as both vendors and retailers look to broadcast their technology successes.

This year's shortlist is as follows:

Best Customer Facing Technology

• Figleaves with Bazaarvoice for Bazaarvoice Ratings & Reviews implementation on Figleaves.com

• EAT with Commidea for its integrated contactless EPoS solution

• Marks & Spencer with Fizzback for its instant customer feedback service

• The Co-operative Group with Smart Technology Solutions for Insight - customer feedback at the point of sale using Chip & Pin devices

Best EPoS Initiative

• Stylo with Digipos for cash and wrap solution

• O2 with Torex for its mobile handset repair integration project

• Comptoir des Cotonniers with VCSTIMELESS for its international EPoS roll-out

• McLeish Brothers Ltd with VoiteQ for VPoS

Best Green IT Initiative

• Sainsbury's with NCR for Sainsbury's halves receipt paper usage with NCR two-sided thermal printing technology

• The Co-operative Group with IBM for InControl - Green Tills using Wake Up On LAN

• Littlewoods Shop Direct Group

Best International Solution

• Tie Rack with Adare for MC² - The Marketing Communications Centre

• Parfie Douglas GmbH with GK SOFTWARE AG for GK/Retail

• Specsavers for Specsavers in a Box

• TALLY WEiJL with VCSTIMELESS for international retail management solutions

• Whitbread Plc for Global Financial Management Online

Best Multi-Channel Integration

• Poppets Ltd with Intelligent Retail for Nursery Connect Multichannel Retail System

• Direct Wines with Site Intelligence for Multi-Channel Intelligence

• Specsavers Optical Group for Multi-Channel Integration

Best Security Solution

• Douglas Court Shopping Centre with RPC Consultants for its network surveillance solution

• Marks and Spencer with Cash Bases for its high security cash drawer

Best Use of B2B Internet Technology

• Tie Rack with Adare for MC² - The Marketing Communications Centre

• Waitrose Limited with ICON for The ICON System

• Reevoo for ReevooMark

Best Use of E-Commerce Technology in Retail

• zavvi Entertainment Group with hybris and Javelin Group for its e-commerce solution

• Littlewoods Shop Direct Home Shopping with Adobe for Enhanced Customer Internet Experience

• Specsavers Optical Group for Specsaversdirect.co.uk

Best Use of Technology for Employee Training or Communication

• World Duty Free with First Friday Ltd for E-learning training to support implementation of ICE EPoS system

• O2 with Imparta for O2 Journey Retail Simulation

Best Use of Technology in a Hospitality and Leisure environment

• Corney and Barrow with Eagle Eye Solutions for mobile voucher campaign

• Bourne Leisure (Butlins) with Fizzback for Instant Customer Feedback service

• Premier Inn for directions and dinner reservations using SMS

Payment Solution Award

• Manchester City Football Club with Altair Financial Services International Plc and MBNA for Manchester City FC Prepaid Card with PayPass

• EAT with Commidea for its integrated contactless EPoS solution

• Whitbread with Fidelity, Verifone, IBM and Smart Technology Solutions for the consolidation of Whitbread's card payment infrastructure

Project Implementation of the Year

• New Look with Quantum Retail Technology for Q

• Tec7 and House of Fraser with Retail Assist for complete IT & communications infrastructure for retail start-up at 22 House of Fraser stores

• Whitbread for Premier Inn in a box

Supply Chain Excellence Award

• Co-operative Retail Logistics with Manhattan Associates for Project Odyssey

• New Look with Quantum Retail Technology for Q

• JD Williams with TradeStone Software for TradeStone Merchandise Lifecycle Management Suite

• Byblos Book Store with Alien Technology for its item-level RFID deployment