Southeastern Grocers aims to lasso customer data for omnichannel push

Southeastern Grocers (SEG) has partnered with digital marketing specialists Eagle Eye Solutions and Ecrebo to better engage with customers across retail channels via more personalization.

Jacksonville, Fla.-based SEG — parent of Winn-Dixie, Bi-Lo, Harveys and Fresco y Más supermarkets — in June launched Eagle Eye’s AIR Platform, which gives the regional grocer a central hub for continuously capturing customer data and consumer interactions, providing improved marketing efficiencies and return.

The software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution also enables nine media channels that SEG can monetize for additional revenue streams, Eagle Eye said. Plans call for the Toronto-based technology company to roll out more media channels for SEG starting in July, including on- and off-property paid media, connected-shelf digital coupons and targeted emails.

Meanwhile, SEG enlisted Chicago-based Ecrebo to sharpen control over its paper and digital receipt communications. Using Ecrebo’s light-touch, point-of-sale software, also provided via an SaaS platform, the retailer went live with a comprehensive receipt marketing communications solution in June.

Shoppers visiting SEG supermarkets now will receive relevant coupons printed on each receipt at checkout, with variables including brand offers and availability based on location, Ecrebo said. For regular SEG customers, coupons also can be personalized and delivered to their mobile wallet.

Related:Southeastern Grocers steps up ‘transformation’ with dissolution of Bi-Lo

According to SEG, Eagle Eye’s AIR Platform will provide a vehicle to grow its digital and channel marketing capabilities and leverage customer interactions and data, while Ecrebo’s technology will allow faster and more effective paper and digital receipt communications. In turn, the two solutions are expected to help further SEG’s business transformation strategy, including a transition to an omnichannel retailer as well as efforts to spur revenue, rein in marketing costs and incentivize customer loyalty.

“What started as an initial strategy to improve our coupon marketing has evolved into a much larger and comprehensive strategy to become digitally connected with customers, better understand behaviors across different channels, and be able to serve each customer individually with the right offers and content,” according to Adam Kirk, senior vice president of marketing at Southeastern Grocers. The company operates 550 grocery stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina.

Eagle Eye noted that it has been a tall order for grocery retailers to connect all of their marketing channels to efficiently gather customer data and act on it to open up new revenue opportunities. Through its technology and partnerships, Eagle Eye said it brings SEG a complete digital marketing and advertising solution to help the supermarket operator reach more customers, interact with shoppers across multiple channels, and retain and reward customers based on their purchasing habits.

Related:Southeastern Grocers to open eight Winn-Dixie stores in Florida

“The importance of being able to digitally connect with customers in today’s operating environment cannot be overstated,” explained Tim Mason, CEO of Eagle Eye. “For years, grocery chains have been challenged by siloed data and marketing channels, limited visibility of customers, missed opportunities to generate more revenues across media channels, and inability to drive transactional loyalty at scale. Our technology will help Southeastern Grocers overcome all of those issues. We’re enabling the ability to have a single view of the customer and realize the full potential of being an omnichannel retailer.”

Similarly, Ecrebo said, supermarkets have traditionally relied on third parties to manage targeted, in-lane receipt communications, limiting their control over messaging and CPG revenue. The ability to provide shoppers with coupons at receipt will provide SEG’s CPG brand partners a highly effective way to promote their products to more consumers and target various customer segments, the tech company added.

“We are proud to provide Southeastern Grocers with the POS technology that enables them to communicate effectively to each customer,” Ecrebo CEO David Buckingham stated.