The Estonian Merchants' Association awarded Maxima Eesti AS the Retail Deed of the Year 2020 title for bringing Estonia's first mobile self-scanning solution to market.
According to Janne Laik, marketing director at Maxima Eesti, the smartphone has become an inseparable part of our everyday lives. It is therefore only natural that the phone also becomes an inseparable part of the shopping experience. "Being recognised with the Retail Deed of the Year title is not just great recognition for the entire Maxima team and our partners behind the development of this app — it also obliges us, as a retail innovation leader, to keep working every day to develop the solutions that best meet our customers' needs," Laik said of today's win.
The mobile app developed by Maxima allows shoppers to use their personal mobile phone as a self-scanner while shopping in store. With the app, customers can scan the barcodes of selected products in a Maxima store and pay for their basket at a self-checkout or regular checkout. Both the Aitäh loyalty card and a payment card can be added to the app.
According to Nele Peil, managing director of the Merchants' Association, the jury recognised Maxima for an innovative, forward-looking technical advance. The Maxima shopping app also stands out for ease of use. "Maxima sensed the spirit of the times and came to market with a solution that supports contactless shopping. We are eager to see how consumers respond to this innovation and what new innovations Maxima will build on top of the app," Peil noted.
The Retail Deed of the Year was announced by the Merchants' Association for the seventh year in a row. The award is intended to highlight retail success stories and introduce successful retailers to a wider audience. The winner was officially announced on 7 October at the Retail Annual Congress.
Past winners of the Retail Deed of the Year include:
- Pro Optika for opening the Zeiss Vision Centre concept store.
- COOP Estonia for enabling cash services in all COOP stores.
- Astri Group for the development of the Balti Jaama Turg.
- Rahva Raamat for its distinctive and consistently surprising shopping environment.
- Apotheka pharmacies for a new pharmacy concept and innovative promotion of healthy living.
- Circle K Eesti (Statoil Fuel & Retail Eesti AS) for building a positive image of customer service staff and shaping the reputation of the retail sector.
The Estonian Merchants' Association is the country's largest association of retail and wholesale companies. The association was founded in 1996 to represent and protect the interests of its members in the legislative process, in business development and in advancing the principles of Good Trade Practice.
PHOTO: Raul Mee