New Red Oval Partner KeyMe Brings New Residents to Stores

IGA is proud to welcome new KeyMe to the Red Oval Family! We spoke with KeyMe about their key duplication kiosks and why they're a great partnership for independent retailers looking to reach new residents. Keep reading for these insights.

What makes KeyMe products different from your competitors? 

• KeyMe has the highest customer experience rating on Google compared to our competitors (4.7/5 star rating vs. 3.6/5).
• We carry 10x the key types of any other key duplication kiosk in the market.  
• The size of our kiosk is the most compact in the market.
• We drive more traffic to the store due to our SEO efforts.
• We are the number one kiosk for driving new movers in your communities into your stores.
• We can duplicate not only house keys, but also RFID key FOBs and car keys.

Why is the independent sector important for your business?

The KeyMe team has a 40+ year relationship serving and supporting Independent retailers. We believe independents play an important role in their communities and we're excited to bring the KeyMe opportunity to these retailers. 

How do you prioritize independent retailers to ensure they have equal access to your products?

KeyMe made a strategic decision to focus on supporting independents and their wholesalers. We already had Merrick Rosner here as our chief revenue officer, formerly of AppCard, and we doubled down on the independent channel by bringing on Bethany Matthews in May as our director of business development, formerly of Inmar. Bethany is 100 percent dedicated to serving the independent channel.

How can our retailers ensure shoppers know they carry your brand?  

Within 24 hours of placing a kiosk in your store, we create a Google My Business listing for each location so when shoppers search for "copy keys near me" or “locksmith near me” or something similar, the kiosk AND location (your store's name and address) will appear in the search results online. Our kiosks appear in the top 3 search results on Google 83 percent of the time and in the top ten 99 percent of the time. We also provide each store with a bright yellow a-frame sign to place near their entrance. KeyMe is effectively re-routing folks who would typically visit their local hardware store to copy a key into your stores for that same service. 

How is KeyMe focusing on product innovations?

KeyMe is the most advanced technology in the key duplication and locksmith space. Not only are we able to duplicate common brass house keys, but our kiosks can also duplicate RFID key FOBs, as well as over 38,000 makes and models of car keys. Some dispense right from the kiosk, and others are mailed to the customer or can be activated at their home. Smart-locks are an emerging trend within the locksmith industry and we are focused on being able to support shoppers that follow these trends as well. We also continue to advance our technology within the kiosk where we can pin specific key designs to the top of the gallery such as university-themed keys or NFL team keys, etc. 

As we emerge from the pandemic, shopper behavior is changing a bit. How do you think that will affect your product sales, if at all, and what can retailers do to address those changes?

Our sales increased during the pandemic as shoppers were wanting more self-serve options for key duplication. We anticipate this trend to continue as we come through the pandemic. The other trend we’re seeing is that folks want to consolidate their shopping into fewer trips to the store. By offering this value add service in a grocery store, the shopper can get more done with one less trip.

If you're interested in learning more about KeyMe, including if it's available in your area, contact Bethany Matthews at bethany.matthews@key.me or (586) 709-8773.