Independent Initiative

Smaller players are investing in big solutions to boost the shopper experience — and the bottom line.

- Randy Hofbauer and Bridget Goldschmidt

Gone are the days when local supermarket operators could just depend on their stellar reputations in their respective communities to keep customers coming back.

In an increasingly competitive landscape, more targeted engagement is necessary, especially for smaller independents lacking the deep pockets of their larger rivals, and that may require digital assistance.

Just ask Foodtown Stores, part of the Iselin, N.J.-based independent supermarket cooperative Allegiance Retail Services, which in April named New York-based Constellation Agency as its first digital agency of record.

“Digital channels have an expanding role in today’s meal planning and grocery shopping,” noted Allegiance Retail Services Chief Marketing Officer Donna Zambo when the news came out. “Recognizing this, we are partnering with Constellation Agency to ensure that Allegiance and Foodtown are able to meet these needs now and into the future.”

Asked to elaborate on the types of strategies envisioned by the co-op, a Constellation spokeswoman spoke of “hyper-local content in support of Allegiance members. Each member has unique and differentiating stories and go-to-market strategies — we want to enable them to tell these stories. Digital and social media is a great forum for this.

Beyond stronger digital engagement, independents across the United States have been adopting a wide range of forward-looking technology to enable them to hold their own against the big guys.

Playing it Safe