Only eight concepts are left to compete in the 2019 Grand Prix Commerce Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, which fosters innovation in retail.
Among the 125 projects submitted for this 13th edition, a record, the 16 best concepts were selected by Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield’s teams. On May 17th, the semi-finalists pitched their project in front of the teams, who elected their favourite. The general public also had a say in the final selection, choosing one project through online voting. Then, on May 28th and 29th, a panel of retail experts designated the six projects that will go through to the grand finale alongside the two “fan favourites”.
On September 25th, the eight concepts selected will pitch in front of the Jury, chaired by Mercredes Erra (BETC founder) and Christophe Cuvillier (Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield CEO). The three winning concepts (Grand Prize Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Boutique Prize and Pop-up Prize) will be announced during the award ceremony the following day. The winners will receive a global grant of €1.5M to finance their opening in one of our shopping centres in France.
Next steps
- June-September: coaching by the Technical Commission
- 25 September: Pitch in front of the Jury
- 26 September: Award Ceremony
The eight innovative concepts selected
The 8 projects that were chosen by the jury, the Group’s employees and the public go from food to fashion, beauty, home or tech:
- Bergamotte: reinventing flower and plant delivery in France since 2016.
- Brutus: a modern « crêperie » offering original and delicious dishes made with fresh products and buckwheat flour. Also Paris’ first cider bar!
- CAVAL: a young brand that offers mismatched, unisex, stylish trainers – 100% made in Europe and environmentally friendly.
- Fédération Française de l’Apéritif: with 350 artisan products for the aperitif, sourced directly from more the 80 French producers, the FFA is the largest community of epicureans in France!
- Mobile & You: making telephony eco-conscious and accessible to all, using the principles of circular economy.
- NUOO [Fan Favourite]: beauty store dedicated to natural and organic cosmetics.
- SmÄak Natural Food: fast-casual food with a Scandinavian twist!
- Stooly [Employee Favourite]: practical, trendy and eco-friendly furniture made of 100% recycled cardboard that folds and unfolds in an instant.
For Julie Villet, URW Lab & CSR Director, the Grand Prix Commerce Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield contributes to the Group’s innovation strategy:
Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield seeks to provide visitors with the best content and offer: our capacity to spot and support the young innovative projects is key. These start-ups are fundamental to reinvent our places and to create attractive destinations for our visitors thanks to a renewed offer. As Director of Sustainable Development, I will be sensitive to concepts that have an amibitious CSR approach, in line with our values, because this underlying trend is going to revolutionize our world.Julie Villet
For more information about the 2019 Grand Prix Commerce Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (French only):