Time to consider a place I shop at least once a week and ask “Why isn’t there a Safeway App for that?” That’s right there’s been no real advance in Supermarket shopping in ages. Well a some stores have tried self-checkout (I’ve seen it more in Britain). Most have some form of loyalty program. Gee I get discounts for keying in my number. Then if I don’t have a number the clerk keys one in anyways. Then that rash of stupid printed coupons when I’m leaving. Where’s the trash?
Now how perhaps should this all work?
- Well Siri does a good job on my shopping list. So lobby for adding Siri access to my Safeway app. Let other members in the family also add to that list. Make sure that when anyone goes into Safeway… they get the family desires list!. Activate that list when they go inside the shop or perhaps are nearby.
- Incent me to turn on my Safeway App or link to my reminders so that I get a location based notification when I enter the store. This should have my list, special deal options, and have you forgotten based on my passed history and recent monthly purchase behavior.
- Make it easy for me to scan my cart as I pick up stuff. Eliminate my waiting in line to get out. Let me bag as I go. Random scan me when I go out from time to time. Offer up things like easy to read nutrition or label details as I scan things. (too hard to read too many labels… make them phone friendly summaries.
- Consider new type of price offers. Eg you bought 12 last year. Buy 10 now and pick them up when you want…. In other words. Introduce some pre-ordering opportunities to increase Safeway’s buying efficiencies. Eg confirm a buy in the future.
- Keep things like a running total of spend. Provide opportunities to save money or improve my budgeting and meal planning. Consider opportunities to let the app speak to me. Help me with recipes there and then. Help me with meal ideas. Make the Safeway brand really work for me.
- Enable me to order “hot food” for quick pick-up. Let the app notify you when I am within x minutes of pickup. Move the register to my phone again!
- Provide me with details on how I shop and what I buy.
- Let me make requests? Eg that special marmalade, or mustard. Offer my request to others like me. Poll us… to see what we can buy or what can be sent for special pickup. Let me request things I see in other stores. Let me scan those items and submit.
- Then there are those last minute deals. Eg dated product or what soon will be. Do I want to rush on over? Some will. Butchery discounts etc.
The future grocery is one that shops better for me and my family while making life easier and adding in some fun. Grocery shops today have all sorts of fresh foods and specials. Make it easier to pick them up on the way home. Make the experience more personalized and more responsive to me. I know you have my data and my eating habits. I also know you are leaving a lot of dollars off the table.
I get a Safeway flyer in the mail. I never look at it. Some do. We don’t. Straight in the trash. It’s not motivation to shop although I may pick up the end aisle deal from time to time. Right now Safeway you really don’t have a way to promote to me. For what I ask/suggest above, it wouldn’t seem hard to get a quick and easy payout on the app development and deployment. What’s it worth? How many dollars per week? How many would consider using it? I know you are scared of me promoting great deals in store on Twitter or Facebook. I equally may say something bad. Still isn’t this an opportunity? Any opportunity to sign up for a shop with your friends? I might just go and shop with Rich and we can compare wine labels and go out the door spending a whole lot more. What about all those other meet ups and local money raising things done for the community?
As a matter of interest – when you search Safeway mobile apps – it turns out they are looking for a senior mobile developer. On it’s own that may not be enough although I have no way to tell. I just liked it as an example.
A final few notes.
- When users start scanning and a store takes this type of purchase approach. The idea of NFC for transacting a payment is almost ludicrous. My details are/will be on file.
- When Safeway creates an account where I might spend $000′s per year. They create many other opportunities in the future. Eg I could lend to them / place savings. Accrue savings… like stamps etc. One day use this account elsewhere. Eg the gas station etc.
So, Safeway. What’s your mobile strategy going forward? How do you think users want you to develop the conversation in their pocket?
