"Unleash Innovation In Retail" - this was the motto of Austria's first REWE Retail Hackathon in cooperation with WeAreDevelopers. The coding challenge called 'Rethink Retail' transformed The Social Hub in the 2nd district into an innovation hotspot for the local tech community from 4 to 5 June 2024. The event was aimed at anyone who wants to work on innovative solutions for the retail of tomorrow, regardless of their field or expertise. "With Rethink Retail, we want to offer talented young programmers the opportunity to develop innovative solutions for real-life retail applications and work together to shape the future of retail," says Martin Fluch, Chief Information Officer (CIO) of REWE International AG.
Delicacies rethought
The coders put their skills to the test in five different, very practical challenges and competed for the best programming solutions.
"Our challenge was to offer BILLA customers a completely new shopping experience, especially in the delicatessen, where things have to happen particularly quickly during the lunch break. The aim was to simplify this so that customers can get their food even faster and enjoy an extended break," says Marcel Körbler from the winning team "Rubberduck Labs", describing the task. He and his colleagues were delighted to receive prize money and REWE vouchers worth 2,500 euros each: "The Rethink Retail Coding Challenge was really great! There's nothing better than working together with your best friends for two days, writing code, researching interesting technologies and simply having a great time together."
Awarded for sustainability
Particular attention was paid to the sustainable implementation of the IT solutions, for which a special prize of 1,000 euros was awarded to the "Chat GPT Enjoyers are back" team. Andreas Streit, Head of Sustainability: "As the person responsible for sustainability at REWE Group Austria, I am very pleased that special emphasis was placed on sustainable solution designs at this hackathon. Our aim is to promote innovative approaches that not only have a positive impact on retail, but also on our environment and the climate."
During the Coding Challenge, 12 teams of developers worked on real-life business challenges over two days and developed innovative solutions for the retail sector. The topics ranged from the use of augmented reality in shops to in-store navigation and intelligent product assistants. Martin Fluch on the format: "This hackathon offers a unique opportunity to push the boundaries of retail through technology and collaboration. Participants also have the chance to become part of a unique community experience." In addition to prize money and REWE Group vouchers, the winners also received tickets to the WeAreDevelopers World Congress 2024 in Berlin.
Further information about the event can also be found on the Website .
About Rethink Retail
Rethink Retail is Austria's first REWE retail hackathon in collaboration with WeAreDevelopers. The event brings together developers, technology enthusiasts and retail professionals to shape the future of retail through innovation and collaboration.
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