Eco-responsibility, loyalty, speed: focus on applications that are reinventing the way we consume.
More than half of French consumers claim to use their cell phone when shopping in-store. To compare prices, take photos of products, get reviews, the mobile has definitely entered the customer journey, and certain applications have become indispensable. This article presents a selection of 5 disruptive mobile applications that are already changing our consumer habits, or have the potential to do so.
YUKA
4.7 /5 and 187K ratings in the Apple Store
Concept
is the product scanning application that helps consumers make the right choices. Food and cosmetics products are detailed according to their nutritional quality and defects, as well as their impact on health and the environment! The principle is a score out of 100 on a scale from Poor to Excellent, and an exhaustive list of product components.
Impact on consumption
In January 2019, Yuka counted 8.5 million users in its press kit and over 2million products scanned per day. While the results are sometimes disputed by retail brands, Yuka claims to be independent and to be changing consumer habits. In fact, the app suggests healthier alternatives to poorly-rated products, which can influence consumers to change their habits on everyday products where brand name matters little, such as toothpaste. So it's vital for brands to learn more about their Yuka scores, and draw out areas for improvement. For retailers, it's up to them to organize in-store merchandising to offer Yuka alternatives to their products with the lowest health impact scores.
SHOPMIUM
4.7 /5 and 28.9K ratings in the Apple Store
Concept
Shopmium is the app that refunds your shopping, as their motto says. With more than 3 million users in Europe and 500 partner brands, the app offers full or partial refunds on supermarket products every day, and boasts almost €100 off every day (provided you buy all the products on special offer that day). The principle is simple: all you have to do is find out about the day's promotions, make a purchase, take a photo of your receipt and scan the product concerned. There are also loyalty offers when you buy products from the same brand several times.
Impact on consumption
The offers are valid in all supermarkets, and the app encourages drive to store by indicating the nearest stores where the product is available. As these promotions are not deducted from the supermarkets' results, the app represents a real opportunity for supermarkets, which can choose to highlight products in-store and encourage the use of cell phones in-store.
STEP-IN
4.1/5 and 510 ratings in the Apple Store
Concept
With Step-in, you win gifts just by walking into the store! Simply launch the application as you enter. Every day, you can check out our partner stores and earn "steps" as you go. With no obligation to buy, these steps can be converted into loyalty points, gift vouchers, subscriptions, prize draws and more. The application is already up and running in shopping centers such as Val D'Europe and Belle Epine, and boasts several hundred partner brands.
Impact on consumption
For consumers, the promise of accumulating benefits without making a purchase is more than appealing, and the app can offer specific gifts for certain brands, encouraging drive to store. But the real goldmine for retailers is the data collected. The application makes even more sense on a shopping center scale, as it enables them to identify customer journeys within the center and their favorite stores, without having to go through the data collected by the various brands.
JOW
4.5 / 5 and 192 ratings in the Apple Store
Concept
Jow is an application that boasts a one-minute shopping experience. The first step is to enter the store where you'll be picking up your order at the drive-thru or having it delivered. Then, based on the size of your household and the number of meals you're planning, the app offers you a wide selection of recipes and tutorials on how to make them. Once you've chosen a recipe, the app will suggest a complete shopping list, with all the ingredients to make the dish, and the option of changing the quantity of products, or choosing cheaper or organic options.
Impact on consumption
Jow transforms recipes into shopping baskets, and stores such as Monoprix, Leclerc and Auchan have chosen to rely on it to speed up online shopping. The application is designed for an ultra-simple, stimulating user experience, and the speed of ordering makes the basket price easier to accept. The cost of preparation (€2) and delivery (€8 at Monoprix) may discourage some consumers, who will then use the app only as a shopping list before making their own baskets in store, which is always a good drive-to-store tool for supermarkets.
TOO GOOD TO GO
4.9 / 5 and 51.2k ratings in the Apple Store
Concept
Too good to go's mission is to combat waste. The idea is to offer supermarkets/bakeries/restaurants the chance to sell off the day's unsold produce. Using geolocation, the application identifies the offers closest to the consumer, who can then choose "baskets" to pick up at the end of the day. The original value is displayed to convince them of the bargain, along with a time slot during which the basket will be available. While it's easy for bakeries or restaurants to offer specific dishes, supermarkets tend to offer "surprise baskets". Franprix, for example, offers a surprise basket worth €12 for €4 between 8 and 9 p.m., containing an assortment of fresh produce, fruit, vegetables and groceries.
Impact on consumption
Too Good To Go meets a growing demand from the French to consume more responsibly and combat waste. For retailers, it's also a way of gaining exposure through geolocation and adding value to products that would otherwise have been thrown away. In December 2018, the app posted 3 million meals sold in France and 8 million in Europe.
The popularity of these applications demonstrates two consumer trends: the digitalization of product selection and ordering, and the desire of shoppers to make healthier, more responsible choices. At Univers Retail we are convinced that the store can no longer be dissociated from digital, so integrating apps and their impact on consumption into the store's drive-to-store or merchandising strategy would be as beneficial for the customer as it would be for the retailer.