Picture this: a shopper you don't know anything about walks through your store door. They buy the same items, spend the same amount, but your competitor across town gets their loyalty instead. Sound familiar?
That's where data comes in, and according to a recent webinar featuring IGA Senior Director of Connected Commerce Sarah Rivers and AppCard SVP of Corporate Development Eran Harel, independent grocers have a massive opportunity to change this dynamic.
The webinar, "How Independent Grocers Are Finding Gold in Their Data," revealed how stores across the IGA network (more than 500 locations) are using AppCard's loyalty platform, analytics tools, and AI-powered features to boost sales, cut costs, and reclaim customer relationships. Keep reading for a recap or watch the full webinar below.
The Three Pillars That Drive Results
Harel emphasized a straightforward philosophy: "Only if we are able to build the relationship that entices behavior and results with shoppers — increasing recency, frequency, and monetary spend — will we be able to earn customer loyalty."
To achieve this, AppCard focuses on three core areas:
- Know Your Shoppers
The simplest step can yield the biggest returns. By capturing just a phone number and zip code at the register (or through the NTR terminal), grocers gain visibility into who's shopping, where they're from, and what drives traffic.
One Wisconsin grocer proved this: after rolling out AppCard to 100 stores, they migrated 800,000 shoppers in October, and had grown that to 1.3 million by April.
- Make Data Actionable
AppCard's Ask Pinky AI chatbot transforms raw data into insights without requiring technical expertise.
"What used to take significant time searching through reports now takes seconds," Rivers noted.
Store teams can ask Pinky which items are underperforming, what promotions actually moved inventory, or which coupons deliver the best ROI, and get answers instantly.
- Engage Across Every Touchpoint
From in-lane terminals to mobile apps, kiosks, and retail media (targeted ads shoppers see on external websites), independent grocers can now reach customers anywhere. The results speak for themselves: AppCard tracked a combination of in-lane terminals and Shop to Cook kiosks generating over $1,800 in incremental profit per location per quarter.
Quick Wins to Implement Today
Start with enrollment. Implement the NTR (New Terminal Registration) at checkout and ask shoppers for their phone number. No app download required.
Use shelf tags strategically. Case studies showed a 15% increase in item movement when AppCard shelf tags highlighted discounts—and two-thirds of increased sales happened through the loyalty app, not just in-store QR scans.
Automate promotions. Leverage AppCard's coupon capabilities, which now include beer, wine, and spirits coupons in 13 states, plus meal deal bundles to increase basket size.
Test retail media. Reach shoppers off-site with targeted circulars and offers through partner websites—capturing potential customers before they visit competitors.
"Independent grocers need enterprise-like capabilities to compete," Harel stated.
With 40 million households in the AppCard network, the infrastructure exists. The only question is: are you ready to use it?
Ready to dive deeper? Connect with IGA's Sarah Rivers or AppCard's Eran Harel directly to schedule a demo of Ask Pinky and see how your store's data can translate into immediate sales gains.
No Comments Yet
Let us know what you think