Niemann Foods Outfits County Markets with Beacon Technology

Includes location analytics, mobile apps

August 18, 2015, 12:25 pm

Niemann Foods (NFI) has deployed a platform for location analytics and mobile applications in its 44 County Market stores.

The platform from Birdzi is designed to provide personalized digital savings and increased customer engagement for shoppers. It delivers personalized offers, location-specific coupons, in-store maps and sharable shopping lists.

After testing the platform in a Springfield, Ill., store, County Market rolled out the myCountyMarket application in all locations. Initial results have been positive, as County Market has seen 15-20 percent growth week-over0week in shopper engagement, and hundreds of new downloads each day. The platform is delivering thousands of precision-targeted, contextually relevant offers each week to County Market Shoppers.

The myCountyMarket app uses beacon technology to enhance customer engagement in the store. The in-store beacons use Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to deliver opt-in location-based services for app users. County Market is the first independent grocer in the nation to use beacon technology in all of its stores.

The beacon-delivered offers are relevant to each shopper, based on his or her purchase history with County Market’s loyalty program.

“We are able to deliver highly personalized offers via beacons,” said Nathaniel Jones, electronic marketing manager of Quincy, Ill.-based Niemann Foods. “It’s an intelligent use of beacons that leverages the power of this technology in new and exciting ways and ensures that we aren’t just ‘spamming’ our customers with messages. It’s important that the shopper receives value and relevancy with every notification.

“The location-based services allow the shopper to visit the bakery and within seconds, get an offer for a dollar off cookies; then a shopper can head to the dairy aisle and get a message to save on coffee creamer,” Jones continued. “We are now delivering a best-in-class digital shopping experience, and customer reaction has been very positive.”

The platform integrates County Market’s loyalty program, the Max Card, which delivers a personalized digital flyer and tips to customers. It allows shoppers to scan their favorite products from the comfort of their home to check for sales and promotions.

The grocer will launch a shopper portal and personalized ad flyers later this month, allowing County Market to deliver personalized offers via the web and email, in order to reach more shoppers.