Dive Brief:
- Stater Bros. Markets has partnered with Mercatus and Swish Brand Experiences to launch a product sampling program for online grocery shoppers, according to a Monday announcement.
- The initiative allows the grocer and its brand partners to carry out “targeted, on-demand, and measurable product sampling campaigns” that aim to bolster the online experience and generate extra revenue for Stater Bros.
- This partnership is the Southern California grocer’s latest attempt to sharpen its online operations as the grocery industry continues to personalize shopping trips.
Dive Insight:
By integrating its Mercatus-powered digital shopping platform with Swish’s technology, Stater Bros. is looking to turn product sampling into an e-commerce revenue stream.
Swish’s technology targets shoppers based on purchase history and offers samples for products in similar categories, increasing the likelihood that samples will become sales, according to the announcement. The Sponsored Product Sampling program will provide retailers with increased revenue opportunities, CPGs with more effective marketing campaigns and customers with an improved online shopping experience, Swish stated in the announcement.
“Swish’s sampling platform gives our CPG partners an effective way to target the customers that are most valuable to them. Additionally, it’s a great opportunity for us to provide added value for staterbros.com shoppers while minimizing the impact on our store personnel,” Denise Singler, vice president of integrated marketing at Stater Bros., said in a statement.
Singler said the grocer’s previous attempts at e-commerce product sampling were “ineffective” and put a strain on its in-store order fulfillment teams.
Stater Bros. launched its online grocery platform under its own brand using technology powered by Mercatus in 2021. Last September, Mercatus and Swish entered a partnership to advance product sampling for retailers and CPG brands as well as offer them real-time, first-party data feedback.
