Managing Supermarket Customer Offers in a Wireless World

Supermarkets offer a very similar variety of products§at similar prices§and quality. Thus the companies have to search for§other ways to differ from their competitors. This can§be achieved by offering a unique type§of service to gain customer loyalty and at the same§time using methods§to maintain customer loyalty.This dissertation§investigated§ways of creating customised offers that fit to the§customer s needs but§also allow the supermarket to advertise products that§are interesting for§retail reasons. These offers have been based on§customer purchasing§patterns which were found by analysing data that had§been generated§by the use of loyalty card schemes. Furthermore, it§was investigated to§what extent mobile devices such as Personal Digital§Assistants or smart§phones can be used to inform customers of offers over§a wireless§connection as they enter the store. Such offers would§be based on§previous purchasing patterns and special promotions.§To avoid the necessity of installing new software an§interface was deployed as a client process that is§transmitted§dynamically to the mobile device. This concept§provides a new way of§advertising especially in the retail market.