Supermarket Guru
by Phil Lempert
Check out this grocery store that’s come up with an innovative way for customers to meet their farmers!
It’s nothing new that consumers these days want to know more about where their food is coming from, and who is responsible for growing it. Well now, a grocery store in Reno, Nevada is combining this ever popular “know your farmer” trend with mobile technology to create an unique way for its customers to meet and interact with local produce growers.
The Great Basin Community Food Co-op in Reno is launching an innovative app that will allow shoppers to virtually connect with the producers of their food. It’s called the ‘Meet Your Farmer’ app and it’s the first-of-its-kind for a U.S. grocery store – designed to increase awareness and appreciation of local food.
So how does it work? Simply by downloading the app, customers will be able to point their phones to signs throughout the aisles, learn about the local grower who produced the food, and watch a quick video from the farmer.
The Meet Your Farmer App will feature 25 producers local to the Reno area and will share facts about their history, farming practices and produce, these growers will connect with individuals to tell a story not only about the produce, but also the farmers working behind the scenes to deliver fresh, healthy foods to the store.
The architect of the idea is Steve Cook, creative director of NEON, a Reno-based marketing agency, he said; “I went on a farm tour and saw how people really enjoyed getting to know their farmers and seeing how their food was produced. It set me off thinking of ways to use new technology so it could be done easily in-store by potentially thousands of people.”
And Amber Sallaberry, general manager of the Great Basin Community Food Co-op, said; “We are excited to be the first grocer to incorporate this technology. It reinforces our emphasis on local food and community, and our core belief in complete transparency about what we sell to our customers.”
While consumers become increasingly interested and conscious about their food and where it comes from, its not always easy to actually visit a farm or speak with a farmer, and so when supermarkets and producers come up with innovative ideas, such as the Meet Your Farmer app, shoppers and local producers can be connected in a way that they could never be before.
