**2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Put Omnichannel Retail Front and Center**
Submissions now open for a global competition spotlighting breakthrough retail technology. The 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards promise to reward the sector’s most ambitious thinking at a moment when omnichannel strategies have become survival requirements, not optional extras.
This marks the sixth year the awards program has operated as a live event. What began with a modest gathering of 30 attendees at South Place Hotel has grown into a landmark occasion for the retail tech community. Previous ceremonies took place at London Bridge Hotel, The Barbican, and RIBA’s West End headquarters.
Organizers have selected The HAC in Central London as the venue for the 2026 ceremony, scheduled for Wednesday, 4th November. Scott Thompson, RTIH’s Founder and Editor, confirmed record-breaking entry numbers and attendance figures for the most recent edition.
In his address at the 2025 event, Thompson referenced Taylor Swift to capture the program’s ethos: “You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby.”
That momentum appears intact. The 2025 edition drew a sold-out crowd on 16th October, featuring a drinks reception, three-course dinner, and ceremony hosted by comedian and writer Tiff Stevenson.
A judge’s assessment of last year’s submissions underscored the competitive landscape: “The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Winners for 2026 will emerge from a judging panel evaluating entries across multiple categories. The program has attracted backing from recurring sponsors, though the organizers continue seeking fresh partnerships to match the event’s trajectory.
For global retail technology companies, the stakes go beyond trophies. Recognition here signals market relevance in an industry where omnichannel execution increasingly separates leaders from laggards. The ceremony will reveal which entrants demonstrate the clearest vision for where retail heads next.
