EXCLUSIVE: Kroger, Inmar Team Up to Offer Flexible Savings Program
According to Weisberg, the Flex Offer technology is based on Inmar’s relationships with CPGs and allows the tech company to enable toggling between load-to-card offers and cash back offers. “As we have taken over Kroger’s cash back gallery, we are putting money in Kroger shoppers’ wallets and pockets,” he noted.
The program gives shoppers flexibility based on their needs at a particular time. “It can help when the holidays are coming and people say, ‘I want to accrue value,’ for example. Or maybe it’s ‘My spouse’s job was just downsized, and as a result, I want to get savings now'," said Weisberg of shoppers’ flexible use of offers. "We talk about wanting to support people throughout the journey and meet them where they are. This furthers that personalization.”
Weisberg underscored the ways that technology is helping open up more purchase paths in a mutually beneficial way. “We really have three constituents — the shopper first, and the freedom of choice we are giving them, and the CPGs and the retailers we partner with. We are essentially pushing the easy button for retailers.”
The expanded partnership comes as Kroger is getting a jump on a busy holiday season. “We were able to get it out in advance of the major holidays when shoppers are most in need of savings,” said Weisberg, adding, “We continue to learn together and advance those learnings to meet shoppers’ needs to even a greater degree.”
Cincinnati-based Kroger serves more than 11 million customers daily through a digital shopping experience and retail food stores under a variety of banner names. The grocer is No. 4 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2024 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. PG also named Kroger one of the Retailers of the Century.