In an effort to enhance the shopping experience for customers and complement its training program for team members, Bashas’ Family of Stores has equipped all of its store directors with iPads, and teamed up with the Ibotta app and The Like MachineTM.
Ibotta is a smartphone app that allows Bashas’ shoppers to earn cash back on their in-store purchases when they answer a couple of short survey questions on their phone.
“We’re always looking for ways to help our customers save money when they grocery shop,” said Edward “Trey” Basha, President and CEO of Bashas’ Family of Stores. “With a few clicks on a smartphone, customers now have a way to instantly earn coupons while they’re shopping in our Bashas’ stores.”
In addition, the family-owned grocer is testing new technology in 40 of its Bashas’ and Food City stores that helps customers make decisions about what products to purchase. “Like Machines” are placed near specific products so shoppers can share their opinions with other shoppers by pushing the “Like” button when they see a product they enjoy. In turn, shoppers can see the number of endorsements a product has received, which can help to influence their decision to purchase the product. It also helps the grocer to determine product preferences in different neighborhoods throughout the state. So far, more than 500,000 endorsements have been made in the pilot stores.
“The decision to test the Like Machines in our Bashas’ and Food City stores was an easy one,” said Basha. “We continually strive to improve our customers’ shopping experience, and this technology is another way to do that.”
Bashas’ has also supplied every one of its store management teams with an iPad. With this handheld device, they view video mystery shops of their teams in action, train team members working on the sales floor about how to improve their customer service, and make sure their stores are meeting or exceeding industry and food safety compliance standards.
“The iPads are beneficial because our store team members can be anywhere on the store floor, and access the information they want, right when they need it,” said Basha.
