ShopAssist®
ShopAssist, a real-time solution designed to enhance shopping experience. With ShopAssist, customer can see out-of-stock items instantly and choose suitable substitutions based on their preferences for price, size, brand, and more. It's like shopping in the store yourself, ensuring you get exactly what you need through your preferred communication method for a seamless and satisfying experience.
Company / Albertsons
Date / 2024
Albertsons Companies, the 4th largest grocer in the US, serves 36.3 million households weekly and is accelerating omni-channel engagement, with a 23% growth in e-commerce in the latest earnings statement.​
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Online grocery shopping can be frustrating, but we have a solution.
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Despite the rapid growth of grocery pickup and delivery services, digital orders still account for just 12% of total grocery sales in the United States. In 2023, in order to take advantage of this tremendous opportunity for growth, Albertsons conducted research to identify the barriers retail customers face in using ecommerce.
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The key reasons for dissatisfaction with ecommerce were product availability and substitution processes. Sometimes customers were unhappy with what was substituted; other times they were disappointed because they weren’t offered any substitution.
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Customers also shared that they wanted a way to add last-minute items to their orders, wanted more tailored product selection (around produce ripeness, deli meat thickness, and other decisions), and in generally wanted more personalized service around order fulfillment.
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These insights led us to create ShopAssist—a live chat feature that connects customers directly with Albertsons personal shoppers performing order selection in our stores. ShopAssist gives customers—and personal shoppers—the unique ability to head off problems before they happen.
We wanted to raise our customers’ trust in us, to bring back our customers, and to make it an enriching experience for them.
ShopAssist as a solution
ShopAssist allows customers to stay in full control of their order, letting them interact with an associate and ask for the right substitution. They can add more items to their order to save a trip. And they can check on item specifications.
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The video tells the story about Mina, a busy, working mother. ShopAssist helped her through a difficult day by allowing her to get what she needed from the store without leaving the house.
The proof is in the pudding
​With ShopAssist, Albertsons is redefining grocery e-commerce, making every interaction more intuitive, efficient, and customer-focused. Over the past 12 months, ShopAssist has made a significant impact, now live in 2,066 Albertsons stores and transforming the shopping experience for both customers and associates.
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55K chats per week
62% engagement rate
40 bps Post-sub Out-of-Stock reduction
30 bps decrease in substitution rejections
Substitution order satisfaction improved from 7.9 to 8.3
Increased customer retention​
As we look ahead, we want to recognize our shopping associates who are saving the day (and dinner!) for millions of families. This is just the beginning as more and more people rely on Albertsons for everyday convenience and peace of mind.
Designed for seamless communication
For Customers - a more interactive and convenient experience.
Live order updates and real-time chat
Customers receive SMS and in-app notifications when shopping begins and can chat directly with their shopper.
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Easy substitution approvals
Customers can approve or decline substitutions and add last-minute items directly in the chat for a smoother, more responsive experience.
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AI-suggested chat responses
Intelligent, context-aware replies generated from the conversation.
For Associates - efficiency and smarter workflows.
Hands-free talk-to-text
Voice transcription allows associates to respond quickly while shopping.​
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Built-in Spanish Multi-Lingual support​ translation
A translation tool enables seamless communication with Spanish-speaking customers.
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Integrated quick-response workflows
Associates can execute customer requests—such as substitutions—directly in the chat.
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Efficient multitasking
Unlike competitors with a one-associate-to-one-customer model, ShopAssist allows associates to handle multiple orders and chat with several customers at once, improving service during peak hours.
AI-Powered training and continuous improvement
By leveraging AI to analyze customer chats and assess associate responses, ShopAssist identifies opportunities to improve interactions, increasing engagement and satisfaction at scale.
ShopAssist provides a superior customer experience that no other retailer provides - control over customers' substitutions during picking and post-picking.
Save time, lower costs, reduce waste
When our customers use ShopAssist, we're giving them back valuable time to spend with family and friends. We’re also helping them make budget-friendly choices in an inflationary market and reduce food waste.
Giving our customers the gift of time
ShopAssist gives our customers peace of mind that we will shop for them with the same care they would for themselves. Our goal is to give back valuable time to our customers, allowing them to focus on their well-being and their families.
Helping families struggling with food affordability
At Albertsons, we offer our customers the same prices for groceries online as in our stores, along with a free picking service and the ability to chat with the shopper. ShopAssist helps ensure substitutions are within the customer's budget.
Reducing food waste in our communities
ShopAssist helps avoid waste by ensuring the items provided are exactly what the customer needs for their meal, recipe, or occasion, preventing unwanted food from being thrown away.
