A POPULAR grocer has recently launched an app with massive discounts but it requires you to head to its physical stores.
The discount closeout retailer’s app offers huge bargains for users and already had over 700,000 total downloads at the end of June.
The app was launched by discount chain Grocery Outlet[/caption]
The app was launched by Grocery Outlet, a chain that offers discounted, overstocked, and closeout products from name-brand and private-label suppliers.
The company created the app with the purpose of promoting savings while also driving customers to its stores.
The company reinforces this strategy on its app by providing personalized saving tools.
After installing the app and picking your preferred store, you can view the latest deals at that location and browse the digital aisles.
You can also see your savings as well as your total, monthly, and yearly spending from past purchases linked to your loyalty card.
The ‘Digital offers’ and ‘Sweepstakes’ sections show coupons and contests.
Under the former section, Grocery Dive spotted a coupon that provides $5 off a purchase of at least $25.
In September, the grocer is also running a sweepstake for “free groceries for a year” for people who provide their loyalty number when they shop to earn entries.
The grocer’s app is also promoting a ‘Win What You Saved’ sweepstakes, which rewards five shoppers every month.
Red-lettered messaging that highlights just how much the discount grocer has reduced prices is the focal point of the app.
For example, this includes a 45-ounce bag of Blue Diamond almonds for $9.99, which is a saving of “up to” 67% off.
Also offered was a 79-cent can of Del Monte Fresh style green beans that represents savings of “up to” 76%.
The ‘Weekly ad’ section lets you see potential savings by category, including beverages, bread and bakery, dairy, deli, fresh meat and frozen.
Customers can add items to their digital shopping list and sort items by “most popular” or “highest savings” when browsing the digital aisles.
The “Wow alerts” section shows featured discounts based on the selected store location.
The app also currently provides an “exclusive offer” to get 10 bonus entries for ‘Win What You Saved’ when opting in for email alerts as well as a $5 in-app coupon deal.
You can track your purchase history in the app by using your digital loyalty card or phone number when checking out.
Grocery Outlet completed the rollout of its app in the first quarter of this year and it was a hit with shoppers.
The company’s President and CEO R.J. Sheedy said: “We continue to see high levels of customer engagement with our personalization app.
“Our app allows us to communicate our weekly deals to customers, provide early access to special offers and customize their treasure hunt experience.”
In comparison to other grocery apps offered by companies like Giant Food or Walmart, Grocery Outlet’s app provides a stripped-down grocery shopping experience with savings as the primary focus.
So while the app’s product pages include a photo of the items, its name, price, and discount percentage, they don’t list ingredients of nutritional information.
On top of this, since Grocery Outlet’s app places an emphasis on showing product discounts by store location, it doesn’t allow customers to place an online order.
Those who want to shop at Grocery Outlet online have to go to one of its e-commerce partners: Uber, DoorDash or Instacart.
The Grocery Outlet app also doesn’t appear to have other features that are common on other retailer apps, like recommendations on product pages, SNAP eligibility information or reviews.
There also don’t appear to be any coupons users can clip for individual products.
It’s clear the app aims to be a tool for in-store customers or for people planning their shopping lists before going to the store.
In August, Sheedy noted that the app is a “traffic driver,” and that the real-time store inventory reflected on the app “is a great way to bring customers in.”
He added: “We believe that this app will increase engagement even further and lead to greater customer loyalty, which should accelerate trip frequency and share of wallet growth.”
Grocery Outlet’s website describes its app as “a central hub where you can see the most up-to-date deals, in-stock products and exclusive offers at any time.”
The brand operates 480 stores across 10 states: California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, and Delaware.
