Increased Customer Insights Delivered by AR-powered Voucher App

Founded in 1977, and supplying more than 4,000 independent stores in the UK turning over in excess of £1.7bn, Nisa provides stock and retail support to their store-owner partners, whilst allowing them complete flexibility to trade in the way they choose. This approach provides Nisa stores with a local, personal identity and a customer-focused methodology, but with all the benefits of a wider cooperative organization.

“Through Scandit’s augmented reality within the Scan & Save app, Nisa shoppers can receive instant product information, including allergens and reviews, enabling informed buying decisions, uplifts in sales, shopper engagement, and retailer product ordering.”

Greg Deacon, Jisp’s Chief Customer Officer

Challenge

Driven by the desire to continually innovate, create customer loyalty, and with new legislation coming into force for products that are high in fat, sugar, and salt (HFSS), Nisa was keen to understand how they could use technology to keep their customers informed and aware, whilst allowing them to be in control of the experience. Additionally, Nisa wanted to be able to drive exclusive promotions to customers, deliver special offers, and reduce costly in-store point-of-sale (POS) and paper-based incentives, whilst reducing waste.  

With the challenge set, Nisa spoke to their partner Jisp, an award-winning UK-based technology company that provides mobile marketing, shopping, and payment solutions, to understand how they could address and solve these challenges. 

James Taylor, Head of Central Operations at Nisa said, “We were looking for support to create a trailblazing digital system for stores that you typically only get to see in the larger supermarket chains.”

Taylor continues, “We really wanted to give independent retailers and brands the ability to build an instant digital relationship with customers and provide them with a greater understanding of customers’ shopping behaviors through interactions and actions in-store, helping them drive sales sustainably, demonstrate ROI and gain valuable insights.”

Solution

The answer was to take advantage of Jisp’s mobile app-based vouchering system called Scan & Save, integrated with Scandit Smart Data Capture platform. Specifically Scandit MatrixScan Augmented Reality (AR) and Barcode Scanner SDK were integrated and the app was offered to customers as a free download for their own iOS and Android devices.

Nisa customers would be able to benefit from Scan & Save to read product barcodes which then presents exclusive promotions via an AR overlay, where they can then save and redeem directly from their mobile device. Additionally, stores can remove the need for tills through the introduction of a contact-free shopping solution, as the app utilizes NFC technology for payment, negating queues.

In fact, Scandit proved to be the only technology provider that could deliver with unmatched speed, accuracy and intelligence no matter the customer’s device. With the addition of MatrixScan AR, Jisp could display offers following the barcode scan that encouraged customers to make impulse purchases and create an engaging experience, as well as provide valuable customer insight for the business.

Results

Following a highly successful three month pilot across 30 trial stores, supported by brands including Mondelez, PepsiCo, Kelloggs, Molson Coors, and Nomad Foods, Nisa was impressed with the results they saw in such a short period and have since rolled the initiative out nationwide. Just over 2,000 Nisa pilot customers delivered:

• Combined discount value of £36,211
• 81% repeat redemptions with an average of two visits per week
• And…

More than 82,000 scans and 40,000 taps

82,000

In excess of 32,000 redemptions on Scan & Save vouchers

32,000

80% conversion between voucher issued to redemption

80%

Gary Batten of Phoenix Stores, one of the pilot Nisa retailers based in Cornwall, said, “It’s easy to incorporate Scan & Save in-store. We simply set up the POS and attached the shelf tickets to the shelf edges. We are now seeing customers familiar with Scan & Save coming into the store and confidently using the app again and again to redeem deals. Any independent retailer who doesn’t use this technology shouldn’t be in retail – it’s a no-brainer.”

Scandit uses augmented reality to enable retailers to innovate and evolve their physical stores from being just a traditional point-of-sale to a more engaging experience by displaying dynamic up-to-date information to the customers that improves their shopping experience. With Scandit Smart Data Capture, Nisa benefited from a greater understanding of customers’ shopping behaviors – the who, where, what and when – enabling them to react faster to trends, and predict levels of stock for replenishment.

Julian Fisher, CEO of Jisp, said: “We are thrilled to announce the Scan & Save nationwide roll-out with Nisa. Our pilot achieved above and beyond what we hoped to accomplish, benefiting everyone from retailers and brands, all the way to the customers. We’re delighted to be working with Nisa and Scandit to bring even more retailers our exclusive technology to help grow sales, increase loyalty and understand more about customers’ shopping habits through our data.”

Nationwide roll out across all Nisa stores commenced in January 2022 and is available to customers via the web, Apple app store or Google Play.