In a play to strengthen the connection between suppliers, retailers, and consumers, United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) has announced a new agreement with Cornerstone for Natural™ to bring its Smart Shelf Tag program to the distributor’s customers. The tags can be scanned to provide shoppers with product information and digital content on their phones without needing an app, giving suppliers and retailers a way to educate and engage shoppers while in-store.
“UNFI is excited to enable better transparency and communication between our suppliers, retailers, and shoppers,” said John Raiche, Executive Vice President of Supplier Services and Merchandising at UNFI. “Consumers have shown that they care about the values and beliefs of the brands they purchase, and with Smart Shelf Tags, suppliers can communicate directly with shoppers about their products and tell the stories behind their brands.”
Smart Shelf Tags contain Eli QR Codes, an enhanced and more secure version of a QR code, which can be scanned by shoppers with their phones, a release explained. With this service, consumers can access additional product information, which provides transparency about offerings that they are increasingly looking for, overall building trust between suppliers and shoppers while boosting loyalty for retailers.
The ELi QR Codes used on Smart Shelf Tags look like QR codes but are more secure. They are able to provide a scannable code, and they also incorporate the back-end content to which users are directed. The content for an ELi QR Code is sourced from the supplier, automatically populates for each individual UPC, and may include promotional offers, nutrition and allergen information, testimonials, traceability information, brand stories, videos, and images. Retailers never have to source, manage, or update content, and the codes are automatically printed on the tags.
“Retail is changing, and we need to change with it,” said David Williams, Cornerstone’s Executive Vice President of Business Development. “Retailers and brands need to work together to engage and educate their shoppers, and our smart shelf tags provide this unique opportunity, helping with decision-making at a key point of purchase in the store.”
To read more about this innovative technology, click here.
What services will UNFI roll out next to boost its retail partners’ success? Stay tuned to Deli Market News for answers.
