Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014 - 14

FOOD & GROCERY ROUNDTABLE

CURTIS ARTHUR, Retail Team Lead, Canada, Intelligent
Shopper Solutions, Aimia, on loyalty: Canada is highly
penetrated from a loyalty perspective, but the activation and
utilization of the information that retailers receive through
their loyalty programs is a good three to ﬁve years behind
the U.K. and the U.S. Retailers need to create a personal
experience and connection through their loyalty programs,
managing them to ensure that they can take the data that
comes from it and start to integrate it into the decisions that
affect overall operations, creating real relationships with
their customers. When a loyalty program is developed and
executed effectively, it's a triple win for the retailers, customers and CPG companies. For the retailer, the beneﬁt is clear
--you learn what a particular customer wants, how they want
it, how they want to be approached and what level of engagement they're interested in. This knowledge really helps retailers increase their value proposition.

JC: We are currently investigating what the
best approach to provide the convenience
of online shopping is for our customers;
currently customers call the store to place
their orders and then have it shipped by
Canada Post, they can also pick up their
orders. We expect to implement an online
shopping platform in the upcoming months.
GF: Omnichannel retail is all about choice
and convenience. Choosing the goods you
want; choosing the way you want to access
those goods. Given the breadth of our
business, we think we're uniquely positioned
on this point-helping customers stock
their fridge, pantry, and wardrobe at their
convenience. Customers can already get Joe
Fresh online, we've launched a mobile PC
Plus app for loyalty and to personalize deals
in our stores, and we've announced a pilot
test of click and collect for later this year,
where customers can order remotely and pick
up their order when they're ready. This will
initially be in the Greater Toronto Area.
We're really eager to see where it takes us.

MF: That's our biggest challenge.
The consumer can't have the same
experience on their computer as they'll
have in our store. There's no fresh bread
being baked and there's no person ﬂ ipping pizzas. It's all about educating the
consumer, standing behind our brand
and then continuing to deliver that
freshness. And, because we're seen as
one of the key players in fresh, our customer expects that freshness whether
they're in our store or their groceries
are delivered. We approach every new
order with as much care as the last. In
this business, your reputation depends
on that kind of mentality.

KL: In today's increasingly competitive grocery
industry, how can you differentiate yourselves
from your competitors with respect to the customer
experience? How do you gain their loyalty? And,
what kind of role does the customer play in effecting
the experience?
GF: If we take loyalty literally, our new PC Plus loyalty
program has been stellar. It will play a leading role
in helping us connect with customers. The gist of the
program is that we deliver customers personalized
offers on the items they like best. In my mind,
connection and personalization go a long way to
deﬁning loyalty in retail.
JC: We don't have a loyalty program in place. However,
an indication of loyalty would be the area that you draw
from. Customers are driving from the city all the way to
Newmarket because they are loyal to the brand. We've
established that loyalty by providing the customer with
what they want. It comes down to engendering that
trust with the customer and building it.
LM: It's about building trust with the customer.
That's what loyalty is. In our case, it's about our
customers trusting that we'll deliver on our price-value
proposition. So, we're building loyalty on trust. At the
end of the day that's the only relationship that's going
to last.
MF: Our program works really well for us and is
gaining in momentum. We're able to stay connected
with our customers, make them aware of deals on
products that they like to purchase and creates that
personalization that translates into satisﬁed and
interested customers.

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Canadian Retailer - Summer 2014

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