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Weis, Brookshire’s get more personal with online grocery

Regional grocers adopt Mercatus AisleOne AI-based solution

Russell Redman

January 9, 2020

3 Min Read
Weis Markets storefront.png
Weis Markets said its implementation of AisleOne signals "the next phase" of its online grocery program.Weis Market

Weis Markets and Brookshire Grocery Co. have enlisted e-commerce specialist Mercatus to make online grocery shopping more relevant for their customers.

Toronto-based Mercatus said yesterday that Brookshire’s and Weis have adopted its artificial intelligence (AI)-based AisleOne solution. Described as a “personalization intelligence engine,” the system employs machine-learning algorithms to deliver customized product recommendations and promotions to shoppers on a one-to-one basis.

Through AisleOne’s proprietary AI technology, the two regional grocers can analyze customer data — such as purchase history, dietary preferences and household demographics — gleaned from online shopping touchpoints spanning engagement to checkout. Mercatus noted that when these insights are combined with in-store transaction data, the retailers are able to provide shopping experiences unique to each customer.

“At Weis Markets, we are always striving to better understand both online and offline shopping behavior to create engaging experiences for our customers. We’ve already made significant progress with our company’s digital grocery shopping program since partnering with Mercatus and look to do even more in 2020.,” according to Ron Bonacci, vice president of marketing and advertising at the Sunbury, Pa.-based chain, which operates 199 stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, West Virginia and Virginia.

Related:Weis Markets engages more closely with customers

“AisleOne represents the next phase of our program,” Bonacci added. “It will help us deepen our relationships with customers and personalize values and incentives.”

Weis and Brookshire’s are using AisleOne as an enhancement to their Mercatus Integrated Commerce Platform. Also available as a stand-alone solution, AisleOne automates the analysis of transactional inputs to create tailored experiences for individual shoppers across desktop and mobile channels, in turn improving customer engagement and satisfaction, Mercatus said.

Brookshire Grocery-Super 1 Foods store.png

Brookshire Grocery rolled out online ordering with curbside pickup early last year to 100 stores across its Brookshire’s, Super 1 Foods and Fresh by Brookshire’s retail banners.

“A year ago, we launched online ordering with curbside pickup service to 100 stores across Brookshire’s, Super 1 Foods and Fresh by Brookshire’s banners,” commented John D’Anna, chief strategy officer at the Tyler, Texas-based Brookshire Grocery, which has more than 180 stores in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas. “Now we are excited to expand our partnership with Mercatus by adding AisleOne personalization to our online shopping capabilities and creating a more personalized, convenient and enjoyable customer experience.”

For example, AisleOne enables Brookshire’s and Weis to generate automatic personalized catalogs and search results for each shopper, as well as serve up product suggestions based on their basket, past purchases and adjacent profile data. The result, according to Mercatus, is a faster checkout process and overall more enjoyable online grocery visit.

Related:Brookshire extends online grocery reach

Toronto-based Mercatus said AisleOne leverages “a deep well of shopper data” from online and in-store inputs and gives retailers full transparency into and control over their customers’ data and product recommendations. The system is designed for easy integration with retailers’ marketing emails, apps and e-commerce websites.

“We’re excited that Brookshire’s and Weis Markets are adding AisleOne to their digital commerce experiences,” Mercatus President and CEO Sylvain Perrier said in a statement. “Shoppers have come to expect a personalized shopping experience, and these two grocers know they need to deliver on that while continuing to own the shopper relationship. Our AisleOne solution will help both grocers fulfill these promises by delivering hyper-relevant experiences to their shoppers, boosting retention rates and building lasting loyalty.”

Other North American grocery retailers using the Mercatus e-commerce platform include Save Mart Cos., WinCo Foods, Smart & Final, Piggly Wiggly and Giant Tiger.

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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