Cub Rolling Out Recipe/Coupon Kiosks

MICHAEL GARRY

MINNEAPOLIS — Cub Foods, a division of Supervalu here, is rolling out a trio of kiosks at each of its 75 corporate and franchised stores that provide product information, recipes and coupons.

As of last week, the “Touch 'n Save” kiosks, provided by Customer-Facing Media, Edina, Minn., were installed in 35 stores, said Lee Ann Jorgenson, community relations manager for Cub, who added that the rollout, which began in February, would be completed by mid-October.

After the Cub rollout is completed, Customer-Facing Media plans to begin installing the kiosks in 543 independent stores supplied by Supervalu in the Upper Midwest, Northern Plains, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Virginia and the Washington, D.C., area, according to Glenn M. Lindgren, marketing manager for Customer-Facing Media.

Cub stores are Customer-Facing Media's first installation site for the kiosks. “They designed the kiosks to meet our exact specifications,” said Jorgenson. She said it was too soon to assess customer usage of the kiosks or impact on sales, though the machines had so far met Cub's expectations.

In each Cub store, a kiosk is placed in three departments — produce, meat and deli/bakery. The kiosks, featuring color displays and video capability, all provide the same recipes and coupons, but tailor product information to their department. Each week, the kiosks feature a special theme.

Product information in the produce kiosk delves into “nutrition, how to store fruits and vegetables, how to judge ripeness and how to cook it,” said Michael Grieb, the chef for Cub Foods. The meat kiosk instructs shoppers on, for example, “which cuts of meat are better to grill and which are good for pot roast,” he noted, while the deli/bakery kiosk offers guidance on international cheeses and different varieties of bread, among other things.

The recipe menu in the kiosks is divided into categories such as quick meals, entertaining and family meals; each category is then split up by food type, such as chicken, beef and meatless. About 300 recipes are available. Recipes can be printed, along with a shopping list of ingredients by department.

The kiosks offer about a dozen cents-off coupons — mostly CPG-sponsored as well as three private-label coupons — which change weekly and are redeemable only at Cub stores. Redemption rates have been “over 50%,” said Grieb.

Customer-Facing Media sells ad space, both video and static, on the kiosks. Hormel, for example, is one of the biggest sponsors, and provides informational content on pork as well, said Grieb. Cub does not share in the ad revenue but earns a fee for each coupon printed, said Lindgren. Cub pays nothing for the kiosks.

About 20 CPG companies are advertising in the kiosk program, said Lindgren.

Grieb said the main purpose of the kiosks is not to drive sales but to educate consumers about products and recipes. “The look I get from customers in the meat department tells me they don't know what to make for dinner,” he said. “This tells them what to do; they can make a meal in 30 minutes. Customers say the love it.”