Coborn’s takes personalization to the conveyor belt

A Midwest grocer is targeting customers at checkout in an interesting way.

Coborn’s Inc. is partnering with MessageWrap to transform its grocery conveyor belts into dynamic, antimicrobial billboards for marketing messages and advertising. Content on the belts includes shopper loyalty promotions, such as Coborn’s “More Rewards” program; as well as food facts and price cuts.

The retailer has also integrated its More Rewards loyalty program, which enables members to earn rewards and coupons, with its POS system. Through this integration, cashiers can be digitally prompted to interact with customers about the rewards program.

This additional prompt is designed to extend the reach of the printed message on the conveyor belt, from the visual moment at checkout, to the discussion with the cashier, to the online mobile experience in the store and then the ongoing engagement when they leave the store.

Coborn’s is also using Birdzi technology to deliver its More Rewards loyalty rewards program through its website and mobile app. The retailer deploys relevant offers to customers and drives customer loyalty through a dedicated customer-facing website, mobile shopping app, personalized emails, and in-store beacons. 

In addition, Coborn’s highlights its private label items with printed conveyor belt promotions. Messaging highlights the grocer’s use of local vendors for private label food items, as well as the Chicken Shack and Four Brothers private label brands.

The retailer installs fresh MessageWraps twice a year, promoting key initiatives on belted lanes across all of its stores, often using different designs in a single program.

“MessageWrap has become an integral part of our marketing mix and a creative asset in-store for promotional messaging. Most importantly, customers and cashiers love them,” said Dennis Host, Coborn’s VP of marketing. “Our cashiers rave about the ability to better interact with our customers, taking the basic black checkout lane to an exciting new level with colorful, creative and relevant messaging. We are thrilled our latest campaign will build upon our long and successful partnership with MessageWrap and we look forward to continuing to work hand in hand to innovate the checkout experience for our customers.”

“Coborn’s continues to be on the cutting edge of pioneering best practices with MessageWrap. They time and again find new ways to capitalize on the checkout experience with each customer, and today’s campaigns continue to build upon their track record of success,” said MessageWrap CEO Nathan Vanderploeg. “For over five years, Coborn’s combination of using MessageWrap and its cashiers to promote shopper loyalty, e-commerce, and private label initiatives has been incredible. It has proved to not only work for the bottom line, but also to create the most enjoyable checkout experience for cashiers and customers.” 

St. Cloud, Minn,-based Coborn’s Inc. is a 100-year-old employee-owned grocery retailer with nearly 9,300 employees and 59 grocery stores across Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin under the Coborn’s Case Wine Foods, Marketplace Foods and Hornbacher’s banners. Coborn’s Inc. also owns liquor, fuel, and pharmacy locations. Coborn’s also operates its own central bakery, dry cleaning facility and grocery distribution center.