KEASBEY, N.J. — After a successful pilot, ShopRite supermarkets will launch the YourBucks mobile coupon program this week, SN has learned.
Powered by Catalina Marketing, St. Petersburg, Fla., the program targets enrolled shoppers with relevant offers via text message.
An offer might, for instance, invite a frequent cereal buyer to purchase two specific brands in the category and get $1 off a third. The $1-off coupon will print with her receipt after she fulfills her purchase obligation and swipes her loyalty card. She can redeem the offer on her next visit.
ShopRite was one of many retailers Catalina tested the program with. Sixty CPG companies also participated. ShopRite did not return SN's request for comment.
Because more than one trip was required to redeem an offer, the test resulted in double-digit lifts in not only spending but incremental visits to participating retailers.
“This proved to be very effective in driving desired behavior for both brands and retailers — which is our ultimate objective,” said Chris Henger, executive vice president and general manager of digital solutions for Catalina.
The marketer used the same shopper insights and engagement methodology to power the pilot as is used with its in-store print communication offers.
Targeted discounts led three in four participants to redeem at least one offer. While 97% of members polled said they'd join again.
“If you put relevant offers in front of consumers, they respond,” Henger said.
ShopRite credits the program's customization with changing shopper behavior.
“We use this data to give our customers offers that are relevant to them, and that personalization provides an incentive for our consumers to spend more with us than [with] the competition,” said Cheryl Williams, vice president of marketing for Wakefern Food Corp., in a prepared statement. The Wakefern cooperative's members own and operate more than 200 ShopRite stores.
Catalina's targeted offers reflect its CPG partners' objectives, explained Henger.
“It's oriented around what the brand is trying to do in a given category,” he said.
The goal may be to increase overall share volume or share of a heavy spender in a particular category.
“They might say, ‘I know they buy a lot of my product, but I want to make sure they continue to buy more,'” Henger explained.
Participating brands realized double- to triple-digit lifts in incremental sales volume.
Shoppers were invited to enroll via a message that printed with their receipt. Catalina funded a $1-off coupon — redeemable on their next visit — as incentive. Loyalty cardholders were instructed to text their loyalty card number to enroll. Text message offers were automatically loaded to their loyalty card.
During one phase of the ShopRite pilot, members received between one and eight messages — depending on purchase history — during an eight-week period.
Bottled water (107%) experienced the most significant sales lift, followed by canned soup (101%), carbonated soft drinks (96%), cookies (64%) and packaged lunch meat (46%). Some categories experienced lift as low as 9%, according to Henger. Offers represented a broad range of categories.