Budgens has opened its flagship Nash and Gardener’s Budgens store in London, based around its Scan, Pay, Go app technology developed with Ubermarket – and the app not only helps shoppers ease their way round the store, but also now can find inflation-busting offers.
Amidst the cost of living crisis, Budgens’ Scan, Pay, Go app’s proprietary technology creates dynamic real-time reductions on hundreds of products in store, revolutionising loyalty for the convenience and mid-sized supermarket sector.
Ubamarket’s technology identifies shopping patterns, favourite brands, and regular purchases to offer consumers exclusive deals and money saving opportunities for products they love the most – such as 20% off oat milk – helping consumers combat the cost-of-living crisis.
As a special promotion, app users also get 10% off all deli & lunch items throughout the month of September to help combat inflation.
With the rising rate of inflation for British consumers continuing to hit new peaks, British consumers face the worst cost-of-living squeeze since the 1950s as businesses wrestle with rising supply chain costs, energy prices and deteriorating purchasing power. Food price inflation across Britain could reach a peak of 15% this winter with the average cost of annual groceries already set to increase by £533, according to the Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD).
As British consumers seek cost-effective ways to curb the impacts of inflation, Ubamarket brings a new scope of opportunity for local grocery retailers to compete in the food retail landscape.
The app also uses AI to help shoppers create shopping lists for the store that take into account allergies and dietary needs, plastics minimisation and can also help organise click and collect.
To use the app in-store, customers can simply enter or dictate their shopping list into the app. This will then be rearranged into the order in which the items are displayed in the store via the bespoke ‘Magic Shopping List’ technology which guides the shopper to each item. Customers can scan additional products that are not on their list at any time (using the shopping list is optional).
Will Broome, CEO of Ubamarket, comments: “Supermarket chains and suppliers rely on narrow profit margins, although most industries are affected by the rising rate of inflation, consumer goods and foods have felt a stronger impact. Suppliers will typically request small price increases, now we see suppliers requesting up to 10% increments to fight inflation, which is directly passed on to the consumer – at the end of the day it becomes a tug-of-war on profits and the burden lies with the consumer. We can expect to see food prices begin to fall in line with inflation, but this won’t happen until 2023 at the earliest “
He adds: “At Ubamarket, we believe that it is the responsibility of retailers and grocery chains to help curb the impacts of inflation on consumers where possible. In light of this, we’ve currently introduced initiatives with some of our partners like the Nash & Gardner’s Budgens in Islington to match inflation and discount hundreds of products on our app accordingly for the month of September”
