Kroger's 84.51° Launches New Tool to Capture Customer Behavior

The Kroger Co.'s consumer insights firm 84.51° has launched Stratum, an analytics tool to capture customer behavior and retail performance measures fueled by transactions in 50 percent of U.S. households. The data includes both brick-and-mortar stores and online transactions. 

“As we continue to accelerate our Restock Kroger strategy, we’re all very excited about the next iteration of our customer insights. Stratum is a science-powered insight tool that is designed with the end user in mind. Stratum will be an accelerator for Our Brands and CPG partners alike,” said Mike Donnelly, Kroger EVP and COO.

According to the company, brands will be able to customize their experience to gather data on sales performance, inventory and out-of-stocks, assortment, promotions, customer segmentation, behavioral insights, new item performance, and in-store space management. 

“Kroger and 84.51° put data and customer insights at the forefront of our decision-making. This science-backed approach allows for greater collaboration and a more comprehensive planning methodology for our brand partners. Simply put, data is our most valuable asset,” said Stuart Aitken, CEO of 84.51°. “With Stratum, we have created a groundbreaking product, which will dramatically change the way our brand partners plan and execute their marketing and merchandising budgets.” 

84.51° has been around since 2015, when Kroger renegotiated its joint venture with U.K.-based Dunnhumby Ltd., to further customer-driven data. The company is named for the longitudinal location of its headquarters. 

Cincinnati-based Kroger operates nearly 2,800 retail food stores under various banner names, employing nearly half a million associates. The retailer landed the No. 2 spot on Progressive Grocer's 2019 Super 50 list of top grocers.