Lowes Foods, with digital solutions provider Unata, has released a new 1-to-1 personalized, omni-channel eCircular for grocery retailers. The new eCircular currently is live with Lowes Foods as part of its Lowes Foods-To-Go website and will be live as a standalone online experience in May.
According to the companies, until now, retailers have had significant limitations with online circulars: they either use a hotspotted/PDF version of the print circular that does not work on mobile and cannot be personalized based on the shopper’s purchase history; or they create a standard online grid circular that has limited content and offer capabilities.
To overcome these challenges, Unata says it has created eCircular 2.0, an online circular that can maintain all of the branding and character of the print circular through adjustable tile sizes and custom imagery, while allowing retailers like Lowes Foods to incorporate all six types of content offered in the print circular—some previously impossible to integrate online—including complex promotions, product collections and sponsored placements. All offer types are fully integrated and interactive so that shoppers can see exactly how much they will save as they build their shopping lists.
Through integration with Lowes Foods’ loyalty program, eCircular 2.0 is automatically 1-to-1 personalized for each guest, displaying the most relevant deals based on their individual purchase history. It also tracks the conversion from online views to in-store purchases, allowing true measurement of the eCircular for the first time ever, according to Unata.
“The new eCircular from Unata has provided us a way to preserve the character and design of our print circular, reflect all available promotions and offers, and extend our new 1-to-1 capabilities within our online weekly ad,” said Klaus Werner, senior director of e-commerce at North Carolina-based Lowes Foods, which also operates stores in South Carolina and Virginia. “We’re proud to be able to provide our guests with a personalized, engaging and easy way to save more when they shop with us.”
Added Bill Bishop, chief architect for Brick Meets Click, “To date, retailers have been quite cautious when it comes to updating their print circular to online, there’s just too much at risk. Unata’s eCircular 2.0 offers an easy way to make the leap to a fully integrated, personalized omni-channel version of the eCircular that mirrors those aspects of print that both retailers and shoppers don’t want to lose. It’s truly an industry first, and I’m not surprised that Lowes Foods will be the first retailer to reap the rewards of this shopper-centric eCircular experience.”
Matt Paterson, VP of product at Unata, said “We’re thrilled to have created an eCircular that bridges the gap between the print and current digital experiences in order to provide the benefits of both worlds in one simple and intuitive solution. This is one step in a larger, long-term plan for Unata to ensure our partners get the most out of their digital customer experience.”
