With the digital age bringing more opportunity for the grocery industry to connect with shoppers both in-store and online, officials of Ahold USA brands—Stop & Shop, Giant Food, Giant/Martin’s and Peapod—are rolling out innovative ways to personalize and digitize the shopping experience.
“Through the introduction of new technology, Ahold USA brands are able to offer more savings, faster shopping, and a more transparent connection with their customers,” said Matt Simon, VP of loyalty and digital marketing. “Since the implementation of their digital growth strategies, Ahold USA brands have seen record-setting engagement, activation and redemption.”
The digital growth strategies include significant investments in new digital tools including relevant digital coupons, new websites, mobile app improvements and a new recipe center.
The following key milestones have been achieved across all four Ahold USA brands:
- One million new digital users and counting over last year.
- New “Load to Card” Digital Coupon activations (up 179 percent).
- New, responsive brand websites, leading to 20 percent growth (year-to-date) web traffic over last year.
- 76 percent increase in monthly app users and tripling of mobile app downloads.
- More than 1 million social media followers across platforms.
According to Ahold USA officials, its brands have made it easier for their shoppers to find and utilize coupons to maximize savings. With the simple push of a button, the “Load to Card” programs directly load digital coupons to loyalty cards. The Load to Card program, including bonus week events, has exceeded expectations with more than 174 million digital coupon activations in 2017 to date at the banners combined.
Exclusive digital savings also are delivered via email with 29 million-plus personalized “Load to Card” coupons already loaded this year. In addition to the personalized offers, new digital bonus week events stack an additional $100 in digital coupons to each user’s account.
A new partnership with Flipp has improved the digital circular experience, letting customers quickly clip relevant items, browse bonus buys, add items to their shopping lists and load coupons directly onto their loyalty cards.
“We have reached a tipping point where American shoppers are engaging in their pre-shop ritual digitally,” said Wehuns Tan, CEO of Flipp Corp. “Ahold USA brands are leaders in showcasing their brand stories through compelling visual merchandising with a digital-first approach. We are excited to partner with Ahold USA to support its brands in driving innovation that gives shoppers the seamless mobile experience they expect today.”
“Putting the customer first is our brands’ top priority, and part of that means providing easy to use digital solutions to help her save time and money,” said Simon.
More than 3,700 recipes are now featured in Savory Magazine, the monthly magazine published exclusively for Ahold USA brands. It now is available at the click of a button with the Savory Shopping Tool. All Savory recipes displayed online on the brands’ web pages include the option to transfer ingredients directly into the customer’s Peapod digital shopping cart, creating a seamless path for the customers to have exactly what they need delivered directly to their door.
“Today, the consumer does not just shop one way. She’s finding meal inspiration online and either filling her grocery cart in the store or virtually,” said Carrie Bienkowski, CMO of Peapod, a brand of Ahold USA that is seeing year-over-year double-digit growth as demand for online grocery intensifies.
“Our brands are able to meet her busy lifestyle and support any way she wants to shop by offering shoppers the option to shop in brick-and-mortar stores, select grocery pickup at more than 200 locations or opt for at-home delivery via Peapod,” added Simon.
