Next-Gen Retail CX Challenge
Challenge · Hosted by Beacon Retail Group. Beacon wants store associates to answer stock and fulfilment questions without leaving the shop floor.
About this open call
The brief
Beacon Retail Group wants store associates to answer stock and fulfilment questions without leaving the shop floor. The questions are the ordinary ones — is this size in the stockroom, does another branch hold it, where has a customer's order got to — and answering them today means breaking off the conversation to go and look. Beacon wants the answer to arrive while the customer is still standing there, in the time a customer will actually wait.
What they're looking for
Associate-facing tools that work on the handsets stores already carry: stock lookup across the stockroom and other branches, order and delivery status, and enough certainty that an associate can promise a customer something the store can keep. A strong entry needs no new device and no more than a shift briefing to learn, and it holds up when the signal in the stockroom drops. Say what the answer is read from and how current it is — reading data a retailer already keeps counts for more than a demo on prepared numbers.
Problem statements
Answers on the floor
An associate who leaves the floor to check stock leaves the customer as well. The answer has to be reachable from the aisle where the question was asked.
The handsets stores already carry
Stores are not buying a new device for this, and a tool that assumes one never gets rolled out. The answer has to arrive on the scanner already in the associate's hand.
An answer worth promising
A confident wrong answer is worse than none, because the associate has promised something the store cannot deliver. Entries should show what the answer is read from and how current it is.
Evaluation criteria
100% weighted total
Timeline
- Jul 29, 2026
Challenge opens
Entries accepted from startups & partners.
- Aug 24, 2026
Submissions close
Final deadline to submit your entry.
- Sep 7, 2026
Host review & shortlist
Beacon Retail Group scores entries and shortlists finalists.
- Sep 21, 2026
Winner announced
The strongest entry moves to a funded pilot on the shop floor.
Sponsors & partners
Beacon Retail Group
Host
Northwind Retail
Sponsoring this challenge
TechStars
Sourcing entrants from its accelerator
FAQs
Who can take part?
Any startup or partner organisation in the ecosystem. One entry per team, so put forward your strongest version rather than two variants.
What does it cost?
Nothing — taking part is free. Joining follows the challenge; submitting enters you for the pilot.
What happens after I submit?
Beacon Retail Group reads entries as they arrive, shortlists the tools it would put in an associate's hand after the deadline, and takes one to a funded pilot on the shop floor.
Can I change my entry after submitting?
No — sending it is final, and Beacon sees it straight away rather than waiting for Aug 24. Review the summary the form shows you before you confirm.
Take part
Submit your entry before the deadline. Every entry is scored against the criteria above.