Portuguese retail group Sonae has received a 'European Excellence Award 2016' in the 'External Publication' category for its 'Book of Innovation in Retail 2015'.
The document celebrates good ideas, teamwork and projects that make substantial improvements or create something totally new.
Sonae’s publication features a selection of 75 innovations developed and implemented by its retail brands, including Shop Assistant, which monitors Continente’s shelves automatically, reducing 90% of time spent on the job; and the Sales Assistant that allows Worten employees to start, develop and complete the sales process through a tablet or web page, reducing sales time by 63%.
Other innovation examples include the new Ice Transport System at the fish centre, the new model of Continente Bom Dia stores that is more efficient in terms of costs and operation, and the new packaging of Continente sliced hams.
Sonae’s investment in R&D and innovation went up from €22 million in 2005 to €96 million in 2014, reflecting an average annual growth of 14.5%. This evolution was accompanied by the reinforcement of the teams dedicated to innovation tasks, which directly involved around 4,400 employees in the last year of the period.
Sonae's retail business counts more than 150 innovation partners worldwide, involving institutions from 25 countries, on four continents.
© 2016 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
