Weis and Brookshire deepen personalized e-commerce

Dive Brief:

Brookshire Grocery and Weis Markets have signed on to use Mercatus’ AisleOne platform, which further personalizes the e-commerce experience for shoppers, according to a press release.
Using AisleOne, Brookshire and Weis have more capabilities to boost engagement and tailor experiences to individual shoppers. They can also access more shopper data, offer personalized product suggestions, and automatically generate personalized search results.
Mercatus launched AisleOne last September. The platform uses artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to analyze shopper data. It is available as a standalone solution or an enhancement for Mercatus clients.

Dive Insight:

Brookshire launched online ordering with curbside pickup about a year ago at 100 stores across its Super 1 Foods, FRESH by Brookshire’s and Brookshire banners. Mercatus powered the company’s e-commerce platform from day one, and Brookshire said AisleOne will add capabilities for the grocer to deliver an improved e-commerce experience for shoppers.

Weis Markets has also been utilizing Mercatus for its e-commerce operations since it launched online ordering, and vice president of marketing and advertising Ron Bonacci said in a statement AisleOne is the next phase of its program.

Regional grocers like Brookshire and Weis often lack the capital to invest in their own tech to power an e-commerce platform. A third-party technology partner allows the companies to focus on their customers and product assortment while Mercatus handles the logistics.

Having a personalized e-commerce experience is becoming more important to shoppers. According to a study from Precima and IDC Retail Insights, 48% of grocery customers specifically want product suggestions that match their tastes and preferences, while 52% want personalized promotions.

Traditional grocers across the U.S. are looking at ways to deliver on this with new technology partnerships and capabilities, while grocery startups like Move and Hungryroot are using personalization as a selling point to attract new shoppers.