Groupon ventures into grocery deals with Big Y

CHICAGO and CAMBRIDGE, Mass. and SPRINGFIELD, Mass. and BOSTON — Through a partnership with Incentive Targeting and HaloEffect, Big Y Foods will become the first grocery retailer to offer Groupon deals digitally loaded to shoppers’ loyalty cards, the companies announced.

Big Y’s first Groupon offer, distributed among Springfield, Mass. subscribers on June 7, was for a newly introduced Shellfish Grill Pack, including lobster tails, mussels, clams, and other seafood suitable for grilling, which retails at $39.99 and is being offered at a 40% discount for $24.

For this test, a shopper purchases the Groupon, enters their Big Y Express Saving Club membership number and the Shellfish Grill Pack deal is electronically loaded to the shopper’s loyalty card. When the shopper purchases the promoted products at a Big Y supermarket, the deal is automatically credited at check out.

“As pioneers in loyalty cards for retail, we are excited to partner with Groupon and Incentive Targeting to test social buying with our shoppers,” said Michael D’Amour, VP sales and merchandising for Big Y Foods. “We anticipate that we will attract new customer interest as we explore new avenues in interactive customer marketing.”

Big Y is based in Springfield Mass., and operates 61 stores throughout Connecticut and Massachusetts.