By Aimee Chanthadavong
With over 5.6 million loyal customers already joined with its Everyday Rewards card, Woolworths has been able to take its market research to the next level and is now willing to share it with brand owners at a price.
Brand owners, marketers and vendors are now able to pay to gain access to rich customer data that will enable them to learn about different customer segments within traditional supermarket categories.
A Woolworths spokesperson stressed that it was not selling any personal customer information but rather it is data gathered through its loyalty program about customer buying patterns which will give a clearer view into aggregate customer buying behaviour.
“Previously we haven’t been able to tell brands or vendors in a category about how well their brands were performing against their competitors but now we’re able to look at one brand and give them this high level kind of information,” she said.
“The additional level we can now provide is customer segments such as the family on a budget or a family with or without children. We can look at a customer segment within a category and that’s an extra level of information that helps us analyse customer patterns and provide additional insight to vendors. In the long run that will help them provide customers what they want and know what isn’t working.”
The spokesperson said data will help both Woolworths and its suppliers provide a better range, promote and layout products on its shelves.
“It is another marketing tool but it is also a loyalty program first and foremost shopping points, gift cards. It is primarily a reward program but given we have data available to benefit consumers,” she said.
“Ultimately, this sort of activity is aimed at benefiting customers by helping us to provide the range, value and mix of products they want.”