Galp invites students to rethink convenience stores and focus on future of retail and customer experience

Portuguese oil and gas company Galp recently invited a group of Católica Lisbon School of Business and Economics students to its Lisbon HQ for an open day focused on the future of retail and customer experiences.

They were challenged to rethink the firm’s convenience stores, exploring new approaches to consumer engagement and the impact of marketing campaigns.

In a LinkedIn post, Galp said: “This moment reflected our commitment to the development of young talent and the innovation environment we foster at Galp. We want to continue to create opportunities for those who have the ambition to grow, learn and make a difference. Stay tuned for upcoming initiatives and find out how you can be part of this energy.”

Sensei

Last year, Galp went live with its new Smart Store offering at Católica Lisbon School of Business and Economics.

The autonomous location is powered by Portuguese startup Sensei’s technology.

Maria Estarreja, Executive Director Retail Innovation Lab (RIL) at Católica Lisbon School of Business and Economics, said: “I have the pleasure to announce that we opened last week at Católica Lisbon an autonomous Galp Smart Store, that will allow us to provide improved services to our dear students and, at the same time, will be a research lab for the RIL.”

She added: “This project was only possible due to the hard work and collaboration of the RIL and Católica Lisbon, Galp and Sensei.”

“I would like to thank all the teams enrolled in this project, as well as send a special thank you to Ana Casaca (Global Head of Innovation at Galp) and Joana Rafael (COO at Sensei) for dreaming with us.”

2024 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Autonomous stores were a key focus area at the sixth edition of the RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”

He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”

“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”

Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended November's gathering.