Author: Kick Writers

Kick Writers are a crew of loyalty lovers and savvy Shopkickers fueled by caffeine and curiosity. From sharing the best ways to rack up kicks to smart shopping hacks, they’ve covered it all — and they’re on a mission to make earning rewards as fun as it is easy.

Touchdown, Groupon!

Posted on by Kick Writers

I’m of the opinion that some of the greatest things in life are not actually things. Instead, they’re concerts and plays, restaurants and classes, vacations in new-to-you destinations and adventures in your hometown. They’re afternoons that stretch into evenings, like this weekend, when you cheer on your team as they take on their rival on the biggest stage. The best things in life are experiences, and I’ve learned you can uncover some of the top experiences on Groupon with Shopkick.

Concerts:

We all text with a complete variety of people, and one of my favorite texts to receive is from friends asking me if I want to attend a concert. I always want my answer to revolve around one word: yes. That single yes has oftentimes not only allowed me to experience a night out with a friend but to always glance sideways at each other in astonishment when we see our seats for the first time. We’ve had some of our greatest views to see some of the coolest acts for a complete fraction of the price, thanks to Groupon.

Travel:

As my family and I research activities to experience while exploring new cities, we always check all of the top sites and read reviews. Once we’ve landed on the excursion we want to take, we book with Groupon. They have many of the same companies listed, and just like the concerts I have seen, the sightseeing is made even sweeter thanks to the money we collectively save.

Explore Your Hometown:

Just like my friends who ask if I want to attend a concert or my family’s desire to discover the best of a city, I also always want to make sure I’m finding fun experiences in my hometown. A quick search on Groupon will allow you to find restaurants you haven’t dined in yet mixed with well-known favorites. The site will allow you to see deals to ice skate or jump in a trampoline park or explore museums you haven’t visited in years. Groupon can make your hometown feel brand new, and the things you find can also act as amazing gifts!

Check Off Your Chores:

Though experiences are always some of the most fun, sometimes you also need to check chores off of your list. Don’t hesitate to visit Groupon if your car needs an oil change, you would like to try having meals or groceries delivered to your door (or perhaps a neighbor needs a hand), or you need to find a professional to fix something at home or help you move to a new home. Groupon, without a doubt, has it all, including a complete section for Goods.

Touchdown, Groupon!

As you cheer on your teams today, start planning your next near or far experience with Groupon! There is something for everyone, including trips throughout the United States and the World, and there are even Deals of the Day. Explore the site with Shopkick through February 5, 2019, and earn 25 kicks per $1 spent! Deals and experiences go hand-in-hand with Groupon. What will you do together next?

Make sure to download Shopkick for free, and join us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more shopping inspiration!

How technological advances in retail are shaping the future of shopping

Posted on by Kick Writers

How technological advances in retail are shaping the future of shopping

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Technological advances in retail are helping to take the burden off employees while providing consumers with better customer service. Features like third-party delivery, intuitive apps, chatbots, voice searches, and image recognition offer brands a way to guide consumers to products and make purchases easier. These retail technology innovations are reshaping how consumers shop, whether they’re online or in the shopping aisle.

Third-party developers play a vital role in this retail technology, as brands often don’t have the resources to develop high-tech programs in-house. By working with outside developers, brands can bring new services to shoppers which enhance their experiences. They can offer in-the-moment advertising to drive sales while streamlining campaigns to target the right individuals. These cost-effective initiatives are changing the way customers shop while helping brands forge better connections.

Offering New Features With Third-Party Partnerships

Many traditional brick-and-mortar retailers added services like curbside pickup and delivery to their offerings in recent years. Such services were made possible via partnerships with companies like Uber, Postmates, and InstaCart. By 2021, online grocery purchases will account for $30 billion in sales, and these third-party services are the primary drivers. They allow brands to quickly roll out delivery programs with little runway or upfront investment.

Retailers are unable to implement in-house delivery programs without taking on extensive expenses. They must cover employees, insurance for those employees, and the cost of vehicles. There’s also added liability to consider, as retailers could become responsible for employees who are injured in accidents during deliveries.  
Third-party options allow retailers to pass the risk on to another company while reducing the staffing costs. The third party is responsible for connecting with contractors and vetting them, as well as maintaining the apps used for offering these experiences. Also, brands can use multiple apps and multiple partnerships to reach a wider pool of consumers and further improve services. Third-party options make delivery scalable, cost-effective, and intuitive regardless of the retailer’s size or available resources.

Creating a Welcoming Atmosphere With Virtual Greeters

Virtual greeters allow retailers and brands to welcome consumers to a location and share information about deals. These short, app-enabled messages replace the traditional door greeter while offering more thorough information than a human sales assistant could.

Virtual greetings work through beacon technology and GPS. When customers reach within a specific range, retailers can direct a message to play for anyone who uses the app. That message could include a video greeting from a spokesperson, an announcement of current events, or even rewards points for store entry. The message creates a positive experience that sets the tone for the consumer’s trip and puts them in a favorable purchase mindset.

Improving Sales With Personalized In-Store Ads

Advertising in the shopping aisle is traditionally mass market. All consumers see the same displays, end caps, and offers. In recent years, retailers have used technology to innovate many in-store advertising methods and provide personalized greetings.

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Digital end cap offers:

End caps are highly desirable sales locations in the store, and competition among brands is fierce. Digital end caps provide a more flexible solution for retailers. Kroger recently implemented a test program around this using their app and its users. The company, with the assistance of Microsoft, installed end cap cameras capable of recognizing the age and gender of individuals. It would then deliver a preloaded, targeted offer based on those specifics. The display was even capable of greeting the individual by name using their membership details.

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Shopping apps:

Shopping apps help brands connect with consumers in the shopping aisle. Shopkick, for example, offers a digital scavenger hunt that incentivizes consumers to seek out products by rewarding them for certain purchase behaviors. This technology offers brands an innovative way to help their products stand out, even when in-store shelf space is less than optimal.  

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Omnichannel events:

Many brands are tying the digital and physical experiences together to promote new products. A recent example occurred with a cross-promotion between Disney and Levi’s. Levi’s offered consumers a unique Snapchat-enabled augmented reality experience at an Orlando store. Visitors received a temporary offer along with an exclusive Snapchat filter when they visited the location, and were able to purchase a Disney branded cap using the app. The campaign was a major success because it leveraged scarcity and exclusivity. This strategy is ideal for a new product launch marketing plan as it creates a scalable event based on a specific location.

Technological advances in retail allow brands to reach consumers when they’re most likely to make a purchase. Through technology, brands can scale and target in-store advertising materials. Such strategies improve sales while increasing the marketing ROI.

Lowering Overhead With Cashier-Less Grocery Shopping

Retailers often look to technology to solve staffing woes. By automating certain in-store tasks, like checking out, brands streamline shopping and reduce workloads. Self-checkout kiosks set the stage for a far more high-tech future, where consumers can complete their shopping trip without the need to check out at all.

A recent example comes from startup Caper. The company developed a unique AI-powered smart cart which scans barcodes and charges consumers for goods once they put them inside the cart. Caper reports use of its carts in stores increased sales by 18%, and future innovations could drive this higher. The Caper cart is just one example of how technology is changing the shopping trip entirely.
One of the benefits of eliminating cashiers in the store is that it allows consumers to check out faster. This option speeds the path to purchase and makes consumers less likely to back out of a sale. Smart carts aren’t the only options in this realm, either. Many retailers look to scan and go technology which allows consumers to check out on the sales floor without ever having to stand in line.

Image Recognition Guides Consumers to Products and Unlocks Features

Image recognition is gaining a lot of attention for its potential in retail. Growth in AI allows developers to categorize millions of images along with their meanings. Machine learning teaches these systems to recognize critical components and match those features to existing data. There are two primary developments for retail image recognition of which brands should be aware.

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2D in label recognition:

2D image recognition turns the labels of products into their UPCs. This process is useful in both managing supply and delivering customer experiences. Consumers could, for example, scan a product’s label with their smartphone to unlock features like product information, deals, and rewards points. It also allows brands to monitor stock on the shelves and reorder products proactively.

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3D in reading consumer behavior:

The application of 3D image recognition is a bit more controversial, as it leverages technology to read a consumer’s facial expressions and make a determination about their overall satisfaction. It can also enhance rewards programs by using stored facial data to recognize consumers quickly and greet them by name.

These image recognition programs improve the customer experience by cutting out steps in the path to purchase. Consumers can simply take a picture of an item to find a place to purchase it or order it online. They can access more information and enjoy improved branded interaction. Image recognition is likely to play a more prominent role in marketing in the years to come, as retailers discover new ways to leverage the technology.

The Growing Impact of Voice in Online Shopping

The ever-increasing popularity of the smart speaker has expanded the use of voice search and by extension, voice ordering. Voice technology presents a new opportunity for CPG brands to reach consumers by leveraging their brand’s reviews and existing reputation. This opportunity lies in how voice search indexing will differ from that of its text-based counterpart.

Voice searches are different from text-based searches as keywords play a less critical role. There are a finite number of keywords to use and consumers ordering via voice tend to err on the shorter side of phrases. Competition among those short verbal phrases is high, even in the early adoption phase.
Content strategies around voice must leverage user-generated content to enhance their visibility. A consumer may issue a voice search for “bandages,” as an example, and the smart speaker will return the results with the most relevance and the highest ratings, with little regard for the brand’s own advertising. Average sales, ratings, and customer reviews will drive brands to the top of voice search, which increases their likelihood of gaining sales from these searches.

Enhancing Chatbots With AI for Delivering Top Tier Customer Service

Chatbots are certainly nothing new in customer service, but they are much smarter than they used to be. About one-quarter of all organizations will use the services of these chatbots by 2020, and it’s very likely consumers won’t even notice that they’re communicating with a computer.

Retailers already have extensive data on hand from prior customer chat interactions. Using that data, they can establish templates for an endless list of customer complaints and scenarios. Essentially, these programs create customer profiles and categorize them. They then answer the consumer’s questions using natural language which is almost indecipherable from a human customer service agent’s.
The benefit of these programs lies in their ability to triage complaints. They won’t eliminate the need for associates entirely, but these bots can handle far more of the conversation based on today’s technological advancements. In some cases, they can take the customer all the way through to resolution, which allows companies to better allocate staffing resources.

Preparing for Technological Advances in Retail

Brands that wish to leverage the newest technological advances in retail must carefully evaluate the cost. Third-party partnerships allow them to enjoy the benefits of these programs without the high upfront cost of developing features in-house. However, brands must thoroughly vet these partnerships, as working with less reputable third-parties can damage the customer relationship.

It’s critical that brands carefully review data collection and storage policies of these third parties to ensure customer information stays protected. They should also seek out developers that follow industry-recognized reporting standards to reduce the risk of becoming victims of ad fraud. Third parties who are verified by TAG and have audits completed to MRC compliance standards tend to pose the least risk, as they must follow stringent reporting standards when communicating results to clients.
Technological advances in retail help brands better allocate staffing resources while providing scalable in-store marketing. They enhance the customer experience by expediting shopping trips through delivery, cashier-less shopping, and image- and voice-based search. Brands can best prepare for the future of retail by partnering with third-party developers to deliver unique, heightened customer experiences that drive brand affinity.
Shopkick partners connect with consumers at brick-and-mortar locations by leveraging our intuitive app as part of an in-store marketing strategy. For more information on becoming a partner, contact us.
Posted in b2b

How to Take a Budget Friendly Beach Vacation

Posted on by Kick Writers

Whether it’s due to the below freezing temperatures or our ever-present wanderlust, we always find we’re ready to start planning a getaway (or two!) in January. And, today we’re dreaming of the place that allows all of us to enjoy sun, sand, and relaxation mixed with a hint (or more!) of adventure – the beach!

The beach is meant to act as a true escape, and we know one of the keys to relaxation is making sure to remain within your budget. We’re thrilled to announce for a limited time, you can book your next beach vacation with Booking.com and Hotels.com with Shopkick to earn 10 kicks per $1 spent! The best news? You can book trips now to take throughout the year – there aren’t any blackout dates! Plus, you can cash in your kicks for gift cards to use while you travel.

Now that you’re excited to plan, let’s start talking about beaches to visit. Up first? The United States!

There are miles upon miles of coastlines to explore throughout the world, and the United States has quite a number of incredible spots on its own. If you’re interested in seeing rocky coastlines mixed with classic coastal architecture in New England, Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island are three beautiful spots to consider. Perhaps Southern charm is in order, in which case places like Myrtle Beach, Charleston, Hilton Head, and Savannah are all perfect spots to mix sand and history. Florida’s Panhandle has some of the most beautiful sunsets in the country, and Alabama and Texas offer plenty of relaxation. If surf culture is your thing, head west to cities spanning from Baja California to just outside of Los Angeles, jet to Hawaii, and don’t forget to consider traveling north to Oregon and Washington.

There are plenty of amazing beaches to experience outside of the United States too, which is why we would be remiss not to mention Mexico. Located just outside of Cancun, Riviera Maya stuns with its pristine stretches of sand, all-inclusive resorts, and plethora of adventure. Swim with whale sharks, snorkel, explore cenotes, or simply lounge on the beach with a great book – you will love your experience. Plus, Cancun’s international airport offers a direct destination for many airlines. Across the country, both Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas offer unparalleled experiences on Mexico’s Pacific coastline. Be prepared for rockier coastlines, incredible sunrises and sunsets, culture, and plenty of time to relax.

Lastly, the Caribbean is brimming with beaches to explore! The Bahamas are some of the closest Caribbean islands to the United States, and each island offers a different colorful flavor and feel. We have only ever heard rave reviews of Turks and Caicos, the Virgin Islands, Curacao, Grand Cayman, and Aruba. All offer dining, history, diving, snorkeling, and some of the most beautiful water to swim in.

Wherever your adventure takes you, isn’t it time to stop dreaming and start booking your complete budget friendly beach vacation? We think so too! Booking.com and Hotels.com to the rescue! But, remember to book prior to 1/27 with Shopkick in order to take advantage of the big kicks.

Let us know where your travels will take you in the comments!

Make sure to download Shopkick for free, and join us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more shopping inspiration!

How to Earn Money for Future Shopping Trips

Posted on by Kick Writers

Whether you’re working to keep your budget in check for all of your daily to-dos, dreaming of taking an upcoming trip, or stashing away extra cash to create more margin for fun in 2019, we’re here to help. Did you know you can earn money for future shopping trips whether you’re in stores or relaxing at home? It’s groundbreaking, if we do say so ourselves, and so easy you will wonder why you haven’t hopped on the earning train before now!

There are many apps and programs that allow you to earn money. Some apps reward you for meeting your daily, weekly, and monthly fitness goals, others ask you to complete surveys in order to earn cash or points, and additional apps encourage you to clip coupons to save for your next shopping trip. But, we have three even better ways for you to earn money for your future shopping trips, and you’re likely already doing them! Take a look at our three tips below.

Explore Online Content:

Do you start or end your day by reading blogs, finding inspiration, or catching up on the news? We do too! We always experience a thrill when we read the latest post from a favorite blogger or discover a new-to-us recipe to put into our weeknight lunch or dinner rotation. Exploring content online is a complete experience, and it’s one we most often participate in during times when we’re relaxing (think: over coffee in the morning or in between commercials in the evening). Did you know you can earn money for future shopping trips by exploring content?

We tend to browse on our phones because it’s quick and easy, and one of the new concepts we’re seeing and enjoying are virtual inspiration books! They’re are exactly what they sound like – short and content-filled books complete with slides from brands we know and brands we’re happy to discover. We’ve found these books contain inspiration for hair, makeup, fashion, home décor, and even recipes. If you’re thinking inspiration books are just like the slideshows you see online you’re correct, but these have a twist. They allow you to earn money for future shopping trips because you’re viewing them through our app!

Watch Videos:

One of our other go-to ways to explore new content is by watching videos. They’re always a great way to catch up on the news, see what’s gone viral, and discover new content. And, we’re so excited they represent a way to save and earn even more for future shopping trips!

Rather than watching videos on YouTube, open your Shopkick app instead. Once the app is open, start exploring the Discover page of the app. There you will find a host of videos to watch from known brands. Expect to find inspiration for recipes, drinks you have to try, just introduced workout gear, sneak peeks of upcoming magazines, and much more. Every video is short, sweet, and to the point, plus you will be earning kicks that add up quickly for you to trade in for gift cards to the stores where you already enjoy shopping.

Why find yourself down a YouTube video rabbit hole when you can be earning kicks through Shopkick?  

Discover New Products In Stores:

Online shopping is quick and easy, but we don’t think it will ever replace the experience of shopping in stores. To us, wandering down the aisles is fun and relaxing, and it’s an activity that always results in a host of new inspiration. You can take even a simple “window shopping” night out to new heights by earning money for future shopping trips!

The products supported by the Shopkick app are available in a number of stores where you probably already go on a weekly (or daily!) basis. Plan a night to wander through the aisles of Target (a favorite pastime for many!), and scroll through the app to see which product barcodes you can scan to earn kicks, or reward points, while your browse. Not only can you scan products, but you can also purchase them, take a picture of your receipt, and submit it in the Shopkick app to earn even more kicks. A stroll through the grocery, beauty, or home aisles can result in hundreds of kicks you can redeem for gift cards to your favorite stores, like Target, Amazon, Starbucks, Disney, AMC Theaters, and many more.

Whether we’re reading articles or watching videos, we’re all constantly consuming online content. Not to mention, we all run errands to browse and shop on a weekly basis. Rather than simply viewing content or walking through the grocery store, why not turn to Shopkick to earn kicks and gift cards for future shopping trips? Think about saving gift cards for future vacations, gifting them to friends and family for their birthdays, or treating yourself for something you will enjoy! It’s as though your purchases are on us.  

Don’t forget to download Shopkick for free, and join a community of loyal Shopkickers who have already discovered the rewards of shopping with us.

If you love social media and stretching your budget as much as we do, join us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for daily shopping inspiration.