Albertsons Cos. Encourages Consumer Ratings, Reviews Online
Albertsons Cos. is making the buyer decision-making process easier by allowing consumer-generated product ratings and reviews on its websites. For the first time, its grocery shoppers can browse and interact with authentic product ratings and reviews on 11 banner sites, including Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco and Shaw’s.
The Boise, Idaho-based food retailer has partnered with PowerReviews to provide the ratings and reviews technology and services, including the ability for brands to syndicate their user-generated content to related product pages on Albertsons Cos.’ sites to ensure a consistent shopper experience.
According to PowerReview’s recent research, 83% of grocery shoppers say they are more likely to purchase a new grocery item online if customer reviews exist for that product. Top categories for which online grocery shoppers want to access reviews include personal care items (79%), home care items (72%), non-perishable packaged foods (49%), frozen foods (41%) and soft drinks (37%), among others.
“Customer-generated ratings and reviews empower purchase decisions,” said Jill Pavlovich, SVP of digital customer experience at Albertsons Cos. “We’re proud to be one of the first grocers to offer this authentic conversation with our shoppers about their favorite products.”
Plus, catering to its online shoppers will help continue to grow this customer base for the food retailer. In its fourth quarter, which ended Feb. 26, Albertsons Cos. reported that digital sales grew 5% while on a two-year stacked basis, digital sales growth was 287%.
“Ratings and reviews have become such a significant factor in buyer decision-making that shoppers actually choose where they buy from based on the availability of this content,” commented Mark Dillon, CEO at Chicago-based PowerReviews. “Albertsons Cos. has an established history of introducing technology to improve the customer experience, and we are excited and proud to work together to enhance their customers’ online shopping experience.”
Meanwhile, Albertsons Cos. is also using technology to improve the customer experience in-store. Through a partnership with retail technology startup Veeve, the grocer is rolling out AI-powered shopping carts later this year so shoppers can skip the checkout line. The Veeve Smart Cart has a touchscreen that provides a running total for selected items and a built-in scale allows for streamlined produce purchases
Albertsons operates over 2,200 retail stores with over 1,700 pharmacies, 402 associated fuel centers, 22 dedicated distribution centers and 20 manufacturing facilities. It operates stores across 34 states and the District of Columbia under 24 well-known banners, among them Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen, Carrs, Kings Food Markets and Balducci’s Food Lovers Market. Albertsons is No. 9 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.
