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EDEKA Clausen wins Reta Award for outstanding employee empowerment with VusionGroup’s Captana
Hamburg-based EDEKA retailer Clausen is using VusionGroup’s Captana technology to empower its employees in an efficient way in the fight against empty shelves and a lack of availability of goods, the Hamburg-based family business EDEKA Clausen was honoured with the Reta Award 2025 in the Employee Empowerment category.
Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Ettenheim 19 February 2025 – EDEKA retailer family Clausen from Hamburg provides its employees with optimal support using VusionGroup’s Captana cutting edge technology utilising AI and computer vision. That was the assessment of the renowned ten-member jury of the EHI Retail Institute‘s Retail Technology Award Reta, which recognised the project as one of the best in European retail in the Employee Empowerment category. Yesterday evening, the independent retailer of Germany’s largest grocery retail organisation, Edeka Group, accepted the award at a ceremony at Seifenfabrik Dr Thompson’s in Düsseldorf.
With the help of Captana’s technology, EDEKA Clausen was able to increase shelf availability in its stores by more than five per cent. This was reported by Hauke Clausen, member of the management board of the independent Hamburg-based Edeka retailer. The Captana solution, which belongs to VusionGroup, analyses shelves in brick-and-mortar stores and identifies out of stocks in real time with the help of artificial intelligence. To achieve this, the innovative retail optimisation specialist combines AI technology with networked cameras and digital shelf labels.
EDEKA Clausen uses the solution to support its employees extremely effectively and efficiently: Captana sends orders to put certain products on the shelf to the mobile device of the employee responsible. Prioritised products such as fast-movers and promotional items can be specifically taken into account. With up-to-date information, the roll cages can be stocked precisely for the next replenishment round. In this way, empty shelves can be filled more quickly and employee routes are optimised.
“The technology makes the work of our employees easier and ensures greater efficiency in day-to-day business,” reports Hauke Clausen. The digital solution not only helps the independent retailer to optimise processes but also provides valuable insights that are used for long-term strategies.
With Captana’s system, the Edeka retailer receives an hourly report on the current shelf situation without employees having to keep time-consuming tally lists. The platform provides transparency on missing products on the shelf that are still available in the stockroom.
In addition to improved product availability on the shelf, the solution also helps retailers to optimise processes, staff deployment and increase customer satisfaction. The items captured by the camera are converted into structured, product-specific data from which tasks are generated for employees on the shop floor. These are available to staff in real time in the Captana app directly on the store’s ordering devices. The digital shelf labels flash to help staff fill gaps so that items can be found and restocked quickly and efficiently.
In times of skills shortages and rising costs, digitalisation through Captana offers a decisive advantage for EDEKA Clausen. The time saved can be used more effectively by employees to advise customers. Thanks to the integration of ESL technology and the intuitive Captana app, new staff can also find their way around more quickly. The dependency on extensive training is reduced and employees can become productive more quickly.
Other companies within the Edeka organisation also successfully use Captana. The solution by VusionGroup supports independent merchants as well as centralised retail companies, supporting their employees on the shopfloor with routine tasks freeing up more time for customer service in the stores.
EDEKA Clausen
EDEKA Clausen operates two stores in Hamburg. With 1,500 square metres of sales space and 20,000 Edeka Nord products in each store, the retailer generates sales of around 23 million euros.
https://www.edeka.de/eh/nord/edeka-clausen-wiesendamm-32/index.jsp
VusionGroup
VusionGroup (ex- SES-imagotag) is the global leader in the digitalization solutions for commerce, serving over 350 large retailer groups around the world in Europe, Asia and North America.
By leveraging its IoT, AI & Data technologies, VusionGroup empowers retailers to re-imagine their physical stores into efficient, intelligent, connected, and data-driven assets. The Group unlocks higher economic performance, facilitates seamless collaboration across the value chain, enhances the shopping experience, creates better jobs, cultivates healthier communities, and significantly reduces waste and carbon emissions.
VusionGroup consist of six families of solutions, harnessing the full potential of IoT, Cloud, Data, and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, at the service of the modernization of commerce: SESimagotag (ESL & Digital Shelf Systems), VusionCloud, Captana (computer vision and artificial intelligence platform), Memory (data analytics), Engage (retail media and in-store advertising), and PDidigital (logistics and industrial solutions).
VusionGroup supports the United Nations’ Global Compact initiative and has received in 2023 the Platinum Sustainability Rating from EcoVadis, the world’s reference of business sustainability ratings.
VusionGroup is listed in compartment A of Euronext™ Paris and member of the SBF120 Index. Ticker: SESL – ISIN code: FR0010282822 – Reuters: VU.PA – Bloomberg: VU.FP
www.vusion.com
EHI reta award
The reta award is taking place for the 18th time in 2025. A jury of representatives from the industry, universities and research institutions selects the winners in five categories from the numerous entries submitted. This year, there were around 75 applications from 15 countries.
When assessing the solutions, the jury pays particular attention to the degree of innovation and the strategic and financial benefits of the projects. The winners (retailers) receive the award for their exceptional technology solutions at a gala event during the EuroCIS trade fair.
Three equal prize winners will be selected in each of the following categories:
1) Checkout & Smart Store
2) Employee empowerment
3) Artificial intelligence
4) Supply chain excellence
5) Customer experience
In addition, one retailer is honoured in the special category ‘Sustainability’.
We recognise the partners of the reta award winners as Top Supplier Retail, who have supported retailers in the use and implementation of innovative technology solutions. This year there are 30 Top Supplier Retail.
