The competition is organised by the Swedish Retail and Wholesale Council and was carried out this year in collaboration with REAL at Lund University, and the innovation hub HETCH. During two intensive days, students worked in pairs to develop solutions to a reality-based case from HBG City, a collaboration company in Helsingborg that works for the promotion of the city center. The reality-based assignment was to investigate how physical commerce could be developed with more visitors, new target groups and increased profitability for a specific area in Helsingborg.
Students Devina Chudasama and Alexis Matta were the winners. They enjoyed the experience.
”It was really fun, everyone was very kind, and I received a lot of helpful tips and support to develop my ideas. I thought the task was especially relevant to today’s retail challenges, particularly how young adults tend to prefer convenience and lower prices, which are often offered by e-commerce. It was exciting to work on solving such a real and important issue for Helsingborg city”, Devina says.
She thinks the competition is an opportunity to gain practical experience.
”One of the most valuable things I learned was the thought process behind creating a strong business pitch. I had only experienced this in a theoretical, school-based context before, so applying it in a practical setting was both challenging and rewarding. Presenting to real companies was also a completely new and exciting experience. You do have to work hard, but that’s what makes it so enjoyable, you get to meet new people, exchange ideas, and learn a lot along the way”, she continue.
The competition is part of the Swedish Retail and Wholesale Council's mission to show students from universities and colleges that commerce offers interesting career paths.