Sobeys Expands Analytics Capabilities

STELLARTON, Nova Scotia — Sobeys here has expanded its customer insights initiatives with a new tool allowing the retailer to share loyalty data with suppliers.

Self Serve, a proprietary program through Sobeys' partnership with analytics firm Aimia, will help the company work more broadly and collaboratively with suppliers to harvest the full potential of customer insight data, Sobeys said.

Speaking at the CIBC Retail and Consumer Conference in Toronto Wednesday, Bill McEwan, chief executive officer of Sobeys, described Self Serve as “the fastest, smartest, most nimble, most robust tool in customer insight marketing available.”

He said Sobeys would make the insights available to suppliers for free rather than selling the data “so we can earn profits the old-fashioned way — by selling more products.”

Sobeys has worked with Aimia, based in Montreal, since June of last year. The company was founded as a partner to Air Canada’s frequent flier program.