AppCard Helps Independents Personalize Marketing & Loyalty

Over 70% of U.S. shoppers used coupons, promo codes, and rewards in 2022, and that number keeps growing.* In fact, using coupons make consumers more likely to be highly satisfied in their shopping experience. At the same time, 71% of consumers expect companies to deliver personalized interactions. 

These consumer preferences illustrate a trend in retail marketing: the need to communicate offers and savings directly to the shopper in a personal, relevant manner. That's where AppCard comes in. More than a loyalty program, AppCard is a powerful multi-channel marketing platform that helps independent grocers consolidate marketing efforts and communicate directly with customers, getting the right message to the right customer at the right time.

And with six of the nine IGA USA Retailers of the Year on AppCard's program, IGA's new Red Oval Partner is already a popular solution for independent grocers looking to up their marketing and loyalty game. Plus, to celebrate 2,000 stores on their service, AppCard will be running a promotion March 1-May 31, 2024: the first 250 stores that newly sign with AppCard during this time period will receive up to $2,000 off their set-up fees (NTR, Stand, JBrain) per location (find more details here).

Get to know our latest Red Oval Partner AppCard and what IGA members can expect from the partnership.

What can IGA retailers expect from this partnership?

AppCard and IGA's partnership will help IGA members on multiple levels, from better understanding one's data, empowering grocers to better know their shoppers, and regaining control over their conversation with their shoppers to reduce advertising costs while increasing conversion.

IGA grocers will now be able to communicate with their shoppers at the shoppers preferred touch point with the right offer at the right time. Shoppers will gain access to the richest coupons gallery and save time while automating their National Digital Ad processing. Additionally, by participating they will enable IGA to further grow its network and offer even better content and greater access to CPG digital dollars.

How will you help IGA grocers drive sales?

IGA grocers will drive sales by better understanding their shoppers. They will be able to compete with the big box stores through data-driven marketing, personalization, and automation. They will have access to an unparalleled number of digital coupons, presenting only the coupons that overlap with their store's inventory (this automated process will not require any action from the grocers).

Additionally, AppCard promotion and campaigns are designed to help prevent churn and increase shopper participation, offering IGA retailers the ability to communicate with their shoppers through email, text, or push notification.

Retailers can use AppCard via a branded app or the AppCard in-lane terminal.

Grocers will be able to compete by offering a compelling points-based program, or a punch card for the deli or club (baby or pet) to name a few.

Whether retailers run a cash-back program or rewards catalog, by setting attainable goals and reminding shoppers of their rewards, shoppers will visit more often and either spend more or switch to higher margin items."

How can IGA retailers engage with your brand for success on both ends?

Engaging with AppCard is simple. Designed for the independent market (whether a single-store operator or multi-store business) AppCard AI- and machine-learning allows you to set automated triggers and campaigns, which will ensure sending the right offer to the right shopper.

And while we are a tech company at heart, we pride ourselves as a service organization, hence offering the grocer easy-to-use tools and reporting dashboard. We assign a success manager to each and every one of our IGA grocers. Those assigned are highly familiar with the IGA retailers' goals and objectives, meet with the grocer regularly, help build a calendar of promotions and campaigns, and review the outcome of the program to best align with the retailer's goals.

Why is the independent sector important to your business?

We are solely focused on independent grocers, who are an important segment in the industry as they are the centers of their communities. Independent grocers symbolize the values of their communities, and we help them deliver value to their shoppers and ensure that each and every member of the program feels valued.

Our goal is to help independent grocers compete by offering them access to tools and technology that is commonly only available to the national grocers or large regional grocers. AppCard does so in an affordable way.

What shopper trends are you seeing in this space right now?

2023 was a year of transition, from inflation to a shift in shopper preference. More shoppers transitioned from national brands to private labels items. Grocers made more of an effort to move from print to digital, as many newspapers close due to the cost of paper.

And of course, we see the buzz around retail media and the desire of CPG and brands to communicate with shoppers directly. There is also continued increase of digital coupons and decision by various CPGs; many have shifted entirely toward digital for coupons. These trends, coupled with more AI- or machine-learning-based solutions being introduced, are the biggest right now.

Accordingly, at AppCard we see 2024 to be "the year of communication." Whether such communication is set to incite emotion, entice behavior, or be more personalized, the use of technology in general — and loyalty and rewards program in particular — will only increase. Our data provides the ability to identify the shopper across any and every touch point to ensure that the individual shopper is that individual and no one else — not a persona or a demographic, but a unique individual. We see a continued increase of the need to make data actionable, and this will be possible — first and foremost — with first party, loyalty program data.

Ready to learn more about AppCard? Learn about their personalized marketing and digital coupons here and products and features here.

*2023 Global Digital Shopping Index    **Next In Personalization Report 2021