Near Brussels, Colruyt is testing a new technology to improve the shopping experience. The Belgian food discounter projects promotions and mood images on the shop floor to inspire shoppers and increase sales.
Improving the shopping experience
At the supermarket in Halle, close to its headquarters, Colruyt will test out several innovations this year that will take the shopping experience to the next level. A first project was already introduced to customers during the last holiday season: in various departments, the retailer projects promotions and mood images on the shop floor to inspire shoppers.
In the champagne department, for example, Colruyt projected a promotion, offering customers a 30 % discount when buying three bottles of Marquis de Vilon. In the space in front of the cash registers, the projection reminded customers to install the Xtra app on their smartphone, replacing the chain’s loyalty card. And the seasonal aisle featured Christmas images.
Measuring and evaluating
“Not only is it a fresh, innovative way of ‘in store activation’, it is also very simple: it only requires light, no other materials”, COO Retail Jo Willemyns explained. “And there is no damage or a need to clean up afterwards. In the current pilot setup, we started very basic, but in time this technology can be much more sophisticated.”
This is an initial test, with factors such as placement, choice of projector and brightness being looked at in further detail in the coming weeks. Colruyt will measure whether projecting promotions, products or assortments also increases sales. This will be followed by a customer survey, and an evaluation is planned for the end of January.
