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Schnucks deploys tablet-delivered videos in beer & wine departments

Looma Project’s Loop network tells the stories of highlighted brands

Russell Redman

August 24, 2021

3 Min Read
Schnuck_Markets-Loop_tablet_videos-Looma_Project.jpg
Looma's Loop “storytelling” smart tablets have been rolled out to the beer and wine sections of 89 Schnuck Market stores.The Looma Project

In its alcoholic beverages sections, Schnuck Markets is telling the tale behind the brand.

St. Louis-based Schnucks has deployed “storytelling” smart tablets from The Looma Project in the beer and wine departments of 89 stores. Known as Loop, the video program spotlights the people and shares the histories of selected beer and wine brands on shelves, boosting shopper engagement and enabling more-informed purchasing decisions, Looma said Tuesday.

Plans call for Schnucks to roll out Looma’s artificial intelligence-assisted film platform to the beer and wine areas of additional stores. Overall, the regional grocer operates 110 supermarkets in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.

“At Schnucks, we are hyper-focused on creating unique, tailored customer experiences. It’s all about nourishing the lives of our customers by enabling enriched, informed shopping experiences,” Tom Henry, chief data officer and deputy chief information officer at Schnuck Markets, said in a statement. “Deploying Looma digital technologies within our stores has enabled our customers to make product selections with increased knowledge and confidence.”

The Loop network of in-store tablets plays short, human-centric videos at the point-of-purchase to show shoppers “the real people whose craft, sweat and love imbue the products at-shelf,” Durham, N.C.-based Looma said. The startup said this “point-of-decision optimization” model brings authentic content and more transparency to customers. 

Related:Hy-Vee, Schnuck Markets tap into higher demand for wine and spirits

“Shoppers increasingly want to make educated and informed decisions,” according to Julie Dean, alcoholic beverage category manager at Schnucks. “Looma allows us to create a stronger connection between shoppers and the brands they love while simultaneously introducing them to new ones.”

Loop’s sales impact reflects shoppers’ desire for purchasing guidance, especially with beer and wine, Looma noted. Across Looma programs, brands see an average of 92% sales growth when making their debut in Loop videos, followed by 25% growth in the following month. Similarly, retailers sell 51% more items for brands highlighted in Loop tablets on an aisle endcap, and 30% of shoppers buying a Loop-featured product are trying it for the first time, Looma said. 

“The best retailers are doubling down on in-store experience,” stated Cole Johnson, founder and CEO of The Looma Project. “Digitization alone isn’t enough, though. It has to be about discovery, education, immersion — connecting shoppers to the people and places and stories behind their products.”

Related:Save A Lot kicks off music video-themed brand campaign

Overall, Looma’s Loop videos play at more than 350 grocery stores across seven states. Besides Schnucks, chains participating in the program include Harris Teeter, Lowes Foods and Gelson’s Markets. Brand partners include Anheuser-Busch, Constellation Brands, E&J Gallo Winery, The Wine Group, Treasury Wine Estates, O’Neill Vintners and Distillers, New Belgium Brewing and Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits.

Schnucks already understands the value of engaging content. Earlier this month, the chain launched the Schnucks Wine Club, which gives Schnucks Rewards members a daily 15% discount on all 750-ml bottles, special offers and promotions, and updates on premium bottles of wine. Other club benefits include a newsletter with trends and insights from industry experts, wine and food pairing ideas, content curated for wine enthusiasts, pre-registration for wine-focused Schnucks Cooking School classes and events, and virtual “meet and greets” with sommeliers from around the world.

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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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