Stop & Shop is expanding its pilot of an app that enables shoppers to use their mobile phones to scan, tally and bag their groceries to an additional 42 stores.

The Scan It! Mobile app was first introduced in August by the Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. at three stores in Massachusetts for the iPhone. In addition to the geographic expansion, the app is also now available for many Android devices.

“Stop & Shop is pleased with the initial launch and the ease of use and convenience provided by the grocery industry’s first mobile shopping app,” said Judi Palmer, director of marketing and external communications at Stop & Shop New England. “The expansion to the additional 42 locations will enable the company to further quantify the value to shoppers as one of Stop & Shop’s primary goals is to help our customers save time and save money.

“The new app is being promoted to our customers via the circular, email, direct mail, in-store signs — print and digital — and greeters who will be at each store during the first two weeks of availability to assist our customers with downloading and trying Scan It! Mobile,” she said. “The interest has been extremely positive to date.”

Personalized offers
The Scan It! Mobile app replaces an in-store handheld Scan It! device currently in use across 350 Stop & Shop stores.

In addition to giving customers a way to scan, tally and bag their own groceries, the mobile app also provides personalized offers based on a shopper’s location in the store and purchase history. Users of the app receive between eight and 10 targeted coupons per shopping trip.

“This is further support for the increasing importance of mobile in shopping and especially for CPG goods at supermarkets, convenience stores and pharmacy,” said Paul Gelb, vice president of mobile at Razorfish, Seattle, WA.

The Scan It! app is step in the right direction in terms of bringing mobile solutions to grocery store shopper but the mobile shopping experience will continue to evolve over the next couple of years, per Mr. Gelb. 

The question that is arising is if the best time to grab the attention of a busy mom is during the shopping experience at the shelf or at some other point during her day?

“What we’re seeing more and more in our consumer research is that the in-store consumer touchpoint is valuable but it is not the only time and place that has a significant impact on the shopper,” Mr. Gelb said.

“It will be interesting to see how marketing will be executed in a way to reach consumers at other points in the day when they might have a greater share of their attention,” he said.

Scan It! Mobile is currently available in 22 stores and is being rolled out to another 23 stores in the coming weeks. Stop & Shop expects to make the app available in a total of 45 stores in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut by the end of the year.

Stop & Shop will roll out Scan It! Mobile to additional stores throughout 2012.

“This is really the beginning of understanding what our customers want when it comes to new mobile technology,” Stop & Shop’s Ms. Palmer said.

“Scan It! Mobile plays a key role in the shopping journey and we intend on building further enhancements to improve its overall experience.”

Final Take
Chantal Tode is associate editor on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York