Micro market Incentives and promotions have proven to attract consumers and turn them into loyal, returning patrons. As an added bonus, these programs can also help move slow-selling products to grow overall sales. With the popularity of mobile, operators are also implementing mobile payment options and incentives to appeal to a broader customer base.
Keith Green, district operations manager at Canteen St. Paul in Minnesota, has been working with 365 Retail Markets to roll out a mobile loyalty and payment program. With mobile payments showing great potential to increase sales due to consumer demand, Green says it was an easy decision to begin the investment. With implementation set to begin within the next several weeks, he is looking forward to continuing to grow his 109 markets.
"I'm hoping to continue moving full steam ahead with the growth we have already seen at Canteen St. Paul," Green said. He believes adding mobile promotion will greatly help the business continue on its upswing. "We are currently in the top five Canteen locations in the country in terms of the actual growth patterns that we have seen here. I would really like to continually strive to keep on with this accelerated growth."
A great match
In order to successfully make the leap to a mobile platform, Green needed the support of the micro market provider.
"365 Retail Markets is a fantastic partner to work with," Green said. "They always resolve issues when needed. We are a 24 hour operation so we have those emergencies on the weekend and they are always available to help us in any way. This is a great asset to have as we look to grow our business."
Responding to customer needs is also a priority as micro markets continue to grow in popularity.
"Our customer base is becoming more demanding about what they want," Green explained. "I think with innovation and technology that 365 has come out with, we have been able to adapt better to this environment. We are increasing our versatility and you can't ask for really anything more when growing a business."
Mobile incentives and promotions
Currently, Canteen St. Paul offers monthly promotions as well as occasional incentives throughout the year. He describes the upcoming mobile loyalty platform as a major turning point for the business.
"Once we are on the mobile platform, that will be a gamechanger in my eyes because people will really be incentivized to use the system now," said Green In order to promote the mobile loyalty program, Green's sales team is planning email blasts as well as training events for long-time customers to show them how it will work. Additional promotions also are in the works. "Our sales team is very excited to move full steam ahead with these mobile solutions," he said.
Cashless is king
Green also explains that customers have already expressed excitement over the versatility that the company is coming up with. The days of carrying cash are long gone for an increasing amount of customers.
"People are gravitating towards cashless and not really holding much money at all and just paying with cards for stuff as they go," he observed. "That's where mobile payments come in and once we get on the mobile platform, that's just really going to escalate that even more."
