Today at the In-Store Marketing Expo, Springboard Retail Networks Inc. announced an agreement to deploy its CONCIERGE® shopping system, an interactive, touch-screen computer console, at Bloom®, one of the nation’s most innovative grocery retailers.
Guests at Bloom’s Fort Mill, South Carolina store will soon enjoy a new shopping experience, one that offers useful information so you can make smart product choices for your family as you walk up and down the aisles, while also saving you money and time.
The CONCIERGE shopping system attaches directly to the push handle of Bloom shopping carts and will offer guests such helpful features and information as a product-finder, in-store specials, recipes and how-to tips.
The CONCIERGE shopping system also provides retailers with knowledge and insights on shopper behavior and preferences to enable them to more effectively personalize the in-store experience, increase customer satisfaction and improve marketing initiatives.
“We’re helping industry-leading retailers like Bloom to transform the shopping experience for their customers,” said Rob Segal, Chief Executive Officer of Springboard. “We’re thrilled to be working with Bloom in support of their efforts to deliver more value and more convenience to their guests.”
The technology deployment project is underway and the CONCIERGE shopping system is scheduled to be available to Bloom’s guests beginning in 2009. Some 125 shopping carts will be equipped with the system, which connects wirelessly to the store network and database to deliver up-to-date information.
“At Bloom, we take pride in being a different kind of grocery store. We’re committed to delivering exceptional product quality and variety, superior service, great prices and a unique culture,” said Robin Johnson, Director of Marketing for Bloom. “Technology is a strategic differentiator, enabling us to enrich and enhance the in-store experience and put our values into action so we always have happy, satisfied guests.”
The 30,000 square-foot Bloom store in Fort Mill is approximately a 30-minute drive from Charlotte, North Carolina. It opened in October 2007 and employs approximately 90 people.
“With the CONCIERGE shopping system, we have designed a real-time, interactive shopping solution that is unparalleled in the retail industry,” said Sylvain Perrier, Vice-President of Technology at Springboard. “It will fundamentally improve the relationships that retailers, vendors and advertisers have with consumers. We’re so excited to be involved with Bloom and are on track to go live at the start of the new year.”
To develop and deploy the CONCIERGE shopping system, Springboard collaborated with industry leaders, such as Adobe, Bell Canada, BSQUARE, CompuCom, Cisco, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, SABIC and Quatech.
Bloom is a banner of Food Lion, LLC, a subsidiary of Brussels-based Delhaize Group (NYSE: DEG). Bloom operates stores in North and South Carolina, Virginia and Maryland. For more information, visit www.shopbloom.com.
About the CONCIERGE Shopping System
The CONCIERGE shopping system is an interactive capacitive projected touch-screen computer that transforms a shopping cart into a friendly assistant for customers. The system can be activated with a personalized access key or by scanning a store loyalty card via an integrated barcode scanner.
The system can be customized, offering such features as:
- A comprehensive store directory and built-in tracking to guide you directly to any product in the store
- Scanning as products are placed in the cart, which automatically checks them off your shopping list and keeps a running total of items and savings
- Faster check-out as products need not be unloaded to a conveyor belt – simply hand your loyalty card to the cashier with any coupons and you’re done in seconds
- Access to an extensive database of recipes and meal-planning suggestions, with automatic addition of all ingredients to your shopping list after selecting a recipe
- A navigation system that recognizes a customer’s unique shopping pattern to make recommendations based on prior or complementary purchases, allowing retailers to increase basket-size and revenue
- The delivery of targeted, personalized and relevant advertising to customers
- Software management tools to integrate customer data, such as statistics on buying habits, lifestyle and time spent in-store, into retailer business intelligence systems
About Springboard
Springboard Retail Networks Inc., www.springboardnetworks.com, develops technology-based information systems that are focused on increasing profitability, improving marketing and strengthening customer relations in the retail sector. Partnering with many of the world’s leading technology companies, we enable retailers to engage and empower their customers with the tools, information and applications to make smart, informed and valued choices, leading to greater customer loyalty. Springboard is a privately-held company founded in 2005.
High-resolution digital photographs of the CONCIERGE shopping system and the Bloom shopping cart are available for download at www.springboardnetworks.com or upon request.
©2008 Springboard Retail Networks Inc.
Contacts:
Hill & Knowlton
312-202-6553
tracy.straub@hillandknowlton.com
or
Karen
Peterson
Bloom-Food Lion
704-633-8250 ext. 3919
kspeterson@foodlion.com
