METRO AG combined Scandit’s MS-AR (MatrixScan-Augmented reality) enabled barcode scanning solution in their Companion app, providing customers with relevant product information including special prices on their purchases, in real-time whilst they browsed in-store.
Customers using the app have a better level of knowledge at the time of purchase. They feel appealed to and looked after personally. This meets METRO’s objective, because displaying the individual product prices is a very special service we provide for our customers.
Challenge
Improve shopper satisfaction with real-time access to personalized product information
A leading German wholesaler and food retailer, METRO AG has a close relationship with their customers who comprise commercial traders such as restaurateurs, the self-employed, associations and institutions. As part of their business model, the company’s national subsidiaries offer their customers special benefits based on individual agreements: extra services for example, as well as discounts specific to the customer.
Until now, these individual prices were not visible right away when shopping in stores. Shelf labels displayed just the current product retail prices without any discounts applied. If customers did not have their respective buying terms on hand for reference, they did not see their savings compared to the retail prices on the shelf until they went to pay at the checkout. Customers expressed their preference to view the prices that applied to them in real-time as they shop at the store.
Says Jörg Decker, Product Owner for Mobile Commerce at METRONOM, the tech unit of METRO AG, “If we make the individual customer’s price visible, this means we can make a more attractive offer to them.” The company decided to improve the shopping experience by including a scanning component in the METRO Companion app that customers used to purchase products.
Solution
Real-time access to special prices with Scandit-enabled MatrixScan AR integrated in the METRO Companion app
METRO finally realized the goal of making individual prices visible through the METRO Companion app. The company selected Scandit’s barcode scanning SDK with MatrixScan AR to integrate in their Companion app. According to Decker, easy to use, fast and reliable barcode capture offered by Scandit’s scanning solution alongside the MatrixScan innovation and the visualization using AR technology, played a decisive role in choosing the solution.
MatrixScan allows customers to scan several barcodes at once, and provides additional product information using the AR functionality whilst they lookup products in-store. Customers now get all the relevant information about the product, the personalized pricing, savings, availability, special offers and top deals in real-time. They can also view the total value of their shopping basket at any time – benefitting from an enriched retail shopping experience.
METRO found that Scandit’s barcode scanner captured barcodes from any angle, achieving a consistently high level of performance even under adverse conditions, such as poor lighting and light reflections. The Scandit-enabled app can be used on iOS and Android devices and works well even on older smartphones with low-end cameras.
Results
Augment customer satisfaction in other countries with the Scandit-enabled app
Customers can use the app to generate a shopping list at an early stage. For example, at their places of business, restaurateurs can scan the barcodes for products they need when stocks are running low. They then go to the nearest METRO store and simply work down the list.
Managers at METRO believe that the improved customer experience will have an impact in the form of higher customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Therefore, the company plans to introduce the Scandit-enabled scanning app in several other countries where they operate.