KROGER LAUNCHES FREQUENT-SHOPPER PROGRAM IN THREE STORES

DEENA AMATO-McCOY

CINCINNATI -- Three stores in Kroger Co.'s Louisville Kroger Marketing Area added a frequent-shopper program to customer services, in an effort to achieve loyalty marketing.

The goal of Kroger Co. here is to use the shopper data to initiate targeted and one-to-one marketing initiatives, according to Paul Bernish, a spokesman, though he declined to identify a timetable.

"The key reason we decided to pursue a loyalty program was to determine our best customers, based on transaction amounts and frequency of visits," he said. "This is a potential to not only hold our loyal customers, but also a chance to build a base of our best shoppers."

Stores in a number of Kroger divisions offer customer-loyalty programs, but this program, available in three stores in Owensboro, Ky., is the first to be launched in stores under the Kroger banner.

"The objective of the loyalty program is to appeal to our existing loyal customers. We also hope to increase the amount of times that these shoppers shop in our stores," said Bernish.

Customers are issued a frequent-shopper card and a key chain card, either of which can be presented during checkout. As the cashier swipes the card past the point-of-sale scanner, discounts are electronically applied to the customer's order, while the items purchased are recorded in a customer database.

Kroger launched the "Value Plus" loyalty-marketing program, from Consumer Card Marketing, Braintree, Mass., in its three Owensboro stores Feb. 22.