Roche Bros. Launches Digital Tools

SN STAFF

WELLESLEY HILLS, Mass. — Roche Bros. Supermarkets here, which operates 15 Roche Bros. stores and three Sudbury Farms outlets, has launched several new Web-based and mobile shopping tools.

The retailer’s online shopping site, Rochebros.com, now includes the use of smart search engine technology that identifies and notices customer habits and requests during their online shopping visit so that future searches become more accurate.

In addition, visitors to the website can view store specials by department, scroll through shopping menus, shop from a “Jumbo List” and access frequently shopped items through a “favorites” feature. Rochebros.com also offers the same in-store sale items and specials online. The shopper’s “Mini Basket” feature will calculate a running total of savings. The chain plans soon to offer the ability to shop the weekly circular and add it directly to the home delivery shopping basket.

A new Culinary Corner feature on the main corporate website will have suggested recipes and videos showcasing food preparations and cooking techniques. The Culinary Corner will feature local and store chefs cooking their favorite recipes. A blog will soon be launched where customers can ask food preparation and cooking questions, which will be answered by Roche Bros. professionals.

Roche Bros. has also introduced an iPhone application that offers automatically updated and uploaded pricing information on store specials that is delivered to the phone weekly. In addition, the customer’s shopping list, which can be synced to an online list, is organized by store aisle. Product photos are pre-loaded into the app to help the shopper recognize items on the store shelves. The Roche Bros. Weekly Circular App can also be downloaded for free from the iPhone App store.

“All these improvements to our online website and the launch of our iPhone app are meant to make the customer’s life, and their shopping experience, easier,” said Rick Roche, second-generation owner and chief executive officer of Roche Bros. Supermarkets, in a statement. “Our customers have always expected quality, service and value from us, and giving them new ways to manage their busy lives and to let them know we value their time, is always one of our goals.”