Stop & Shop Uses Grocery Store Kiosks to Bring Digital-Only Offers to More Customers
Regional supermarket chain Stop & Shop announced Wednesday that it will install kiosks in all of its U.S. stores to make digital-only coupons more accessible to customers.
Stop & Shop, which operates in ConnecticutMassachusetts, New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island, said the kiosks will allow customers to scan a loyalty card or enter a phone number and quickly access digital coupons or personalized offers.
The kiosks, called Savings Stations, are expected to be installed in all 365 Stops & Store locations by early January, the company said.
Digital-only deals are advertised online or on store shelves. They can offer significant savings but generally require customers to electronically clip a coupon located in a grocer’s app or on its website.
In 2022, a coalition of consumer groups sent letters to a dozen supermarket chains, including Kroger and stop & Shop, urging them to make sure deals are available in digital and non-digital formats.
The groups, which included Consumer Reports, Consumer Action, the Public Interest Research Group and the National Consumers League, said many shoppers may be missing out on smartphones. Internet access or technical geeks to understand how digital-only coupons work.
Access to smartphones varies widely by age group in the United States, according to a 2021 study by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center. The study found that 96% of people aged 18 to 29 own a smartphonecompared to 61% of those aged 65 and over. The same study reveals that 25% of people aged 65 or over do not use the Internet.
Consumer World founder Edgar Dworsky said Wednesday that Stop & Shop was the first channel to respond to the group’s request. Dworsky said the kiosks would help customers who have already been locked out of transactions. But he also thinks they will help regular users of the app, since they give buyers access to the entire app. store offers immediately.
Stop & Shop said he began piloting the Savings Station late last year. The kiosk gives shoppers a printout of the digital coupons loaded onto their loyalty cards if they wish to reference them while shopping.
Stop & Store president Roger Wheeler said the chain was hear from customers who felt like they were missing out on business.
“This ensures our customers can easily access all of our great deals, especially during the holiday season when savings are a priority,” Wheeler said in a statement.
