Whole Foods CIO Invests in Data

Whole Foods is going to launch a number of new digital marketing efforts to try to attract more customers both in their physical stores and their online stores.   This is their latest attempt to take on retailers such as Amazon, and remain at the forefront of IT infrastructure to best attract and satisfy their customers.  Whole Foods previously announced linking up with Apple Pay, but it also recently signed deals with Instacart, announced a potential rewards program, and will implement a single platform POS system, OnePOS. 

The strategy is to try to attract new customers who may not normally shop in their retail stores, and provide better information to their current customers, particularly regarding Whole Foods suppliers (i.e. customers want to where their food is coming from).  Their goal is also to start to analyze the data coming through all of their systems and utilize that data to better market to consumers and ultimately, become more profitable.

I think Whole Foods is intelligently considering the marketplace and where their place will be in the retail sector in the future.  Their goal is to let customers have the information they want in their store and online at their fingertips and allow customers to pay quickly and easily (or get delivery quickly).  I think if they realize they will be able to compete on price, then they need to differentiate themselves in other ways, and provide additional benefits to customers.  By utilizing digital tools out there, it seems that they are well-positioned to stay relevant in the marketplace. 

Source: Wall Street Journal Whole Foods CIO Invests in Data