Niemann Foods, operating under the County Market banner, is the first independent supermarket chain to install iBeacons in its stores to significantly enhance customer engagement. Just how much does customer engagement mean to Niemann Foods?
“Customer engagement is monumental to the future of Niemann Foods and our digital experience,” Nathaniel Jones, electronic marketing manager at Niemann Foods, told Loyalty360. “We want County Market customers to interact with us wherever they are: In the store, at home, or on the go. It’s more than just communicating at our shoppers, it’s actually connecting WITH them. That’s what we really value.”
Jones explained that Niemann Foods selected Birdzi’s Shopper Engagement platform to provide its shoppers with new in-store services and personalized offers via the grocer’s branded mobile app. The Birdzi platform is currently deployed in eight County Market stores, but Jones said Niemann Foods plans to roll out the solution to all 45 of the grocer’s store locations in Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri by the second quarter of 2015.
“We chose Birdzi’s shopper engagement platform because it offered a chance to connect with the customers in a unique way,” Jones said. “Shoppers get a personalized experience in the store. Whether they are receiving relevant, real-time offers, creating and sharing shopping lists, or mapping out their shopping trip by aisle, County Market customers are engaging with technology to make grocery shopping easier, and dare 
I say, fun!”
Since implementing the Birdzi platform, Niemann Foods has reported several thousand downloads of the County Market mobile app, available for both iOS and Android. Because the Shopper Engagement platform can reach customers with “right time and place” customized offers, recent data from Niemann’s shows higher-than-industry-average mobile app retention rates and in-store shopper engagement.
“The iBeacon technology gives us the opportunity to deliver relevant offers in real-time to our customers,” Jones explained. “The shopper can visit the bakery and within seconds, get an offer for a dollar off cookies. Head to the dairy aisle and you get a message to save on coffee creamer. Adding our Max Card loyalty program to the process allows us to build engagement even more. County Market customers are getting a personalized digital experience every time they visit the store.”