OSG scoops top awards

OXFORD, Swindon & Gloucester Co-op has won two prestigious national retail industry awards.
The society scooped both the ?EPoS Initiative of the Year&#039 and ?European Retail Solution of the Year&#039 awards at the annual Retail Week ceremony at the Hilton Metropole Hotel in Birmingham.
The EPoS Initiative of the Year award was won following OSG&#039s installation of, self-scanning till systems in Co-op stores. The self checkout system, developed by Optimal Robotics plc, is a speedy, self-operating till system which enables shoppers to scan, bag and pay for their own basket shopping.
It has proved very popular with customers since installation at four OSG stores during the last six months. The judges looked for understanding of the problems tackled in the initiative and the positive benefits that followed.
The society, in association with Optimal Robotics, also won European Retail Solution of the Year ? the premier accolade given as part of the Deloitte & Touche European Retail Solutions Awards.
It is given to one overall winner chosen from all nine award categories and is presented to the company or organisation that, in the judges&#039 view, submitted the best retail solution.
OSG had to demonstrate innovation and that the solution has helped transform the company and provided real benefits to customers.
OSG Chief Executive Bob Burlton commented: "We were delighted at the awards event to find out that we were overall winner in two categories. In both cases we beat national and European names.
"This is a remarkable achievement for a regional co-op society and I am truly proud of our team in retail group that achieved this."
Pauline Green, Chief Executive of Co-operatives UK, added her congratulations. She told the News: "This is not only an excellent achievement for OSG. We are delighted this achievement has been recognised as it shows that regional societies can be innovative retail leaders, even surpassing national retail names."