What Is a Clickable Paper Receipt?
Every retailer knows that marketing on receipts is a low-cost, high-reach way to engage customers. But retailers also know that receipt marketing lacks graphical pizzazz, and, worse yet, to make the receipt marketing targeted, it requires a big lift from IT.
Nearly a decade ago, Ecrebo, a U.K.-based technology company, solved for that. The Ecrebo solution works with all major POS systems, requires no POS integration and allows retailers to create and managed precisely targeted receipt marketing campaigns through an easy-to-use portal. No IT help needed.
When Ecrebo first came to North America in 2019, it was thought that retailers would use it to create something like Catalina 2.0 – targeted POS coupons sold and controlled by retailers as part of their retail media portfolio. But, it didn’t take long for Ecrebo to realize this approach was outdated. Retailers and brands were laser-focused on all things digital. Paper coupons – even the targeted POS variety – were going the way of dinosaurs.
Could Ecrebo – a technology company built to deliver paper-based, receipt marketing – do anything valuable for modern retailers in full command of their first-party data and equipped with wholly owned, sophisticated digital media channels? Happily, the answer is yes. Ecrebo developed two product offerings to meet the needs of today’s retailers: EcreboTRM™ (Total Receipt Marketing) and EcreboCPR™ (Clickable Paper Receipts).
For a several years now, Albertsons, Ahold and Southeastern Grocers have been using EcreboTRM to print beautiful, well-organized, shorter receipts that please customers and save paper. Additionally, they use EcreboTRM to deliver targeted, graphically compelling messages about events, holidays and store specials. Sometimes these messages (which are seldom coupons) are funded by brands, but more often they promote peripheral departments such as produce, meat, pharmacy and deli.
Just as COVID-19 was thrusting QR codes into mainstream use, Albertsons started to experiment with Ecrebo to add QR codes to its printed receipts. The Albertsons receipts with QRs were scanned with enthusiasm, and EcreboCPR was born. Like something straight out of “Harry Potter,” paper receipts magically became clickable.
Using humble paper receipts to secure digital engagement was a game-changer for Ecrebo and its retailers. Canada’s largest retailer, Loblaws, has taken EcreboCPR to the next level. Every receipt message Loblaws prints carries a personalized QR code that either invites a non-digital customer to download the Loblaws PC Optimum loyalty app or encourages a current app user to engage with personalized digital content. The upshot is more app users, using the app more often. EcreboCPR is helping Loblaws grow its profitable retail media inventory and deliver better retail media results for its brand partners.
A recent Loblaws case study bears out some impressive results: using EcreboCPR, Loblaws is acquiring new app users for one-tenth of their historical acquisition cost. And, digital offers promoted with targeted QRs on paper receipts do 15%-plus better than offers that are not promoted on receipts. It turns out that low-cost, high-reach, precisely targetable, paper-based receipt marketing is an unbeatable way to keep digital retail media growing and performing.
Make your paper receipts powerful and clickable! Contact Mike Grimes.
