European Commerce Awards 2025

What are the European Commerce Awards?

The European Commerce Awards celebrate outstanding innovation in European retail and wholesale across sustainability, digitalisation, community engagement, and skills. Each year, the Awards highlight cutting-edge projects that demonstrate the sector’s transformation and its strong connection to local communities.

The 2025 ceremony took place on 2 December in Brussels, Belgium. You can discover this year’s winners below.

We look forward to the next edition — the European Commerce Awards 2027. More information will follow in due course.

El Corte Inglés Portugal

Estudar+ is an education initiative launched in 2019 to help employees with low levels of formal schooling complete their basic and secondary education – directly at the workplace and during working hours. Inspired by Portugal’s national QUALIFICA programme, it reflects the company’s strong belief that education is a fundamental driver of personal and professional growth.

Since its launch, Estudar+ has enabled 218 employees to complete their studies, most within two years. Open to all – regardless of age, role, or contract – the programme promotes equal access to learning and fosters a more inclusive company culture.

The initiative strengthens digital literacy, confidence, and readiness for future workplace changes, while helping to reduce educational inequalities within the organisation. With strong results and growing recognition, Estudar+ continues to expand, giving employees a second chance to complete their education with dignity and full support.

SPAR Austria Group

Since 2017, SPAR Slovenia has worked with the Slovenian Diving Federation to protect and restore the country’s lakes, rivers and coastal areas through a long-term community initiative. The programme brings together volunteers, schools and local organisations for nationwide clean-up days and educational activities that raise environmental awareness and improve the health of aquatic ecosystems. In 2024, a new partnership with the Yousea Institute expanded the initiative to include seagrass meadow conservation and marine biodiversity.

With more than nine tonnes of waste removed and thousands of people engaged, the project delivers measurable environmental benefits while strengthening community participation in nature protection. By combining practical action with education, it supports biodiversity, tackles invasive species and contributes to broader European sustainability goals.

VéGé Retail

“Noi Amiamo” is a nationwide programme launched in 2017 by Gruppo VéGé to strengthen local communities by turning everyday grocery shopping into meaningful support for schools, sports clubs and animal shelters. Through simple code-based donations at the checkout, families can contribute directly to the organisations they care about.

With dedicated branches focused on education, sport and animal welfare, and supported by strong partnerships and a digital platform, the initiative has grown into a unique model of community engagement. In 2024 alone, more than 10,000 schools and 5,700 sports clubs participated, with over 30 million codes redeemed. By promoting inclusion, healthy lifestyles and responsible behaviours, “Noi Amiamo” delivers tangible social value while fostering a stronger connection between retailers and the communities they serve.

Skupina COOP

Since 2022, COOP Czech Republic has introduced hybrid 24/7 shops that combine AI-driven automation with conventional service, bringing modern retail to rural communities. Open around the clock and integrated with COOP’s online shop, these stores provide extensive product choice, secure self-service access, and convenient outdoor pick-up boxes for e-commerce orders. The concept reduces the need for long journeys to larger towns, saving residents time, money, and fuel while preventing rural “food deserts”. It also keeps local shops economically viable, supporting small communities and strengthening regional self-sufficiency. As the first initiative of its kind in Europe, it has reshaped expectations around digital retail in villages and is now requested by hundreds of municipalities across the country.

Sonae

Opened in January 2025, Continente Bom Dia Leiria São Romão is the world’s largest autonomous supermarket, developed by MC (Sonae Group) using Sensei’s AI-driven technology. Spanning 1,200 m² and offering more than 11,000 products, the store allows customers to simply walk in, pick up their items, and leave, with their basket tracked automatically. Combining advanced sensors and real-time data with a familiar supermarket layout, it offers both autonomous checkout and traditional payment options to ensure full accessibility.

This €6 million investment marks a major step in Europe’s retail digitalisation. The store handles more than 3,000 baskets per day, provides valuable operational insights, and incorporates sustainable features such as solar panels, LED lighting and optimised stock management. As a scalable pilot for future autonomous stores, it positions Portugal as a leader in smart retail innovation while reinforcing community engagement through the Missão Continente programme.

Lidl Spain

Since 2015, Lidl Spain has implemented a comprehensive nutrition and sustainability strategy focused on healthy eating, transparency, education, and responsible sourcing. The initiative transforms everyday food retail by reformulating products, increasing plant-based options, improving supply chain standards, and reducing food waste, in line with the Planetary Health Diet and the UN SDGs. With targets such as 20% plant-based proteins and a 50% reduction in food waste by 2030, over 500 products have already been reformulated, sugar and salt have been significantly reduced, and 80% of the range now meets WHO nutrition standards. Certified sourcing (Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, MSC, FSC) and supplier partnerships further support sustainability and biodiversity. The programme delivers environmental benefits, promotes healthier diets, and provides a scalable model for a more sustainable food system across Europe.

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