SLR has teamed up with ecommerce firm Cornershop Online to offer retailers a three month free trial of the company’s innovative loyalty app platform that allows customers to place online orders with deliveries fulfilled by the retailer.
Competing with supermarkets that offer home deliveries is not easy for convenience stores. As we reported in last month’s cover story, even local shops in far-flung corners of the country are being affected by the growing footprint of delivery routes.
The logistics of launching an online ordering and delivery service are complex and make it virtually impossible for retailers. There are many stores who will take orders over the phone, but the growing Cornershop Online business allows retailers to take this one step further by becoming part of a network of stores offering online ordering.
To help retailers trial this system SLR has teamed up with Cornershop Online to offer readers a three month free trial with the company.
Not only does the retailer get access to the Cornershop Online website – where they can set up their own page, but they can make use of the company’s recently launched app.
All you have to do to take advantage of the offer is get in touch with Cornershop Online at the details provided below, and give them some basic information about your store along with three photographs, which can be taken on a mobile phone. Cornershop Online does the rest, along with explaining how the system works. They’ll then contact you at the end of three months to see if you’re happy with the service. Only at this point would the company take any payment details.
In addition to the web portal the company has recently launched an app, which comes with a number of services, including:
- Promotions: Retailers can keep their customers constantly updated with their latest promotions. If part of a symbol group the promotions are downloaded every period and the retailer can simply opt in/opt out of the promotions as they wish. (Big benefit over leaflets as often retailers have leaflets sent out but are not running all the promotions shown). Retailers also have full access to a database of more than 10,000 products to create their own promotions.
- Alerts: Retailers can send customers an unlimited number of alerts through the app. This allows them to instantly react to any change in their environment. They can even send customised alerts, which are effectively digital vouchers.
- Store information: Customers can access all the important information about their local store.
- Loyalty System: This smartphone based loyalty can be customised to be either a “spend X to receive Y points / then cash in Y points,” or a simpler “spend X to get a stamp\collect a certain number of stamps to get a reward.” It works through web cloud technology where shoppers sign in via phone to collect or redeem points. Cornershop Online has released an API to allow all EPoS providers to integrate and offer the service through the tills.
An example of the cross benefit is that all stores that sign up to use the App are automatically listed on the ecommerce platform. Retailers very quickly have a business website and a business App with minimal maintenance.
Purdeep Haire, founder of Cornershop Online says: “Our retailers suggested they wanted all the above and we created it for them. That is the ethos at the heart of our business. Also as a provider we offer everything; the App to start with, building all the way up to a full ecommerce operation. We expect to develop the App to allow customers to order and pay for products directly through the App.”
