Co-op Food launches tech trollies for customer feedback
THE Co-operative’s food business is reaching-out to its customers in an innovative way.
At 33 selected Co-operative Food stores, high tech trollies, with a tablet device fixed to the handle, will encourage shoppers to express their opinions on key issues as they go around the store.
When customers arrive at various in-store departments, such as bakery, the device will ask a series of questions about the store layout, the ranges carried and products stocked.
The tablet will also prompt feedback on a series of issues such as sustainable food, youth unemployment and localism.
The answers will enable Manchester-based mutual organisation to improve its customer offering and help determine how it fulfils its goal of “championing a better way of doing business for you and your communities.”
Andrew Mann, customer director at The Co-operative Food, said: “If we are to fulfil our ambition to be the UK’s best local food retailer it is really important that we know what our members think about our stores and act upon their feedback. The high tech trollies not only make it easy for customers to tell us about their shopping experience but because the information is collated digitally we can access what they say almost instantly.
“Our new stated purpose emphasises the importance we place on communities and so this feedback will also enable us to find out what our members and customers think about our community engagement.”
In a bid to win market share, The Co-operative Food has launched a commitment to cut prices on hundreds of everyday essential items. It already has a food store in every UK postal area with a commitment to opening more than 100 further stores this year and over 150 community stores a year over the next four years.
