Grocery store chain Winn-Dixie is using QR codes to help customers serve a special Valentine’s Day meal without the need for reservations or to spend a lot of money.

The QR codes link customers to a special Web site where they can see a video with step-by-instructions for how to make a surf and turf meal. All of the items in the menu can be found in Winn-Dixie’s “What’s for Dinner” display case inside stores.

“We have used QR codes before and have found the increased use of smartphones provides Winn-Dixie an opportunity to cement our relationship with our guests by demonstrating the full range of meal solutions, in-store services and depth of knowledge our team members have,” said Eric Barnes, a spokesman for Winn-Dixie, Jacksonville, FL.

“Our main goal is to provide guests the opportunity to access information quickly and easily – both inside our stores and remotely at home,” he said.

“The QR code allows us to extend the guest experience beyond the four walls of our store to the comfort of our guests’ home after the purchase has been made.  This flexibility allows us to provide the guest with tips or information that will help make the celebration of the Valentine’s easier- i.e. cooking demonstration, care and handling tips for their flowers.”

Lover’s lane
In the past year, Winn-Dixie has introduced an app to help guests plan their shopping and a pharmacy app to help customers manage their health.

The QR code for the Valentine’s Day promotion is printed on signage that will be posted in the What’s For Dinner Case where the items for the featured menu can be found.

It will link users to a Web site, www.winn-dixie.com/GiveLove, scheduled to launch on Feb. 8. Users can watch a video on the site when they get home to see step by step instructions for how to prepare a surf and turf dinner for Valentine’s Day.

The site will provide tips and information for planning and celebrating Valentine’s Day in a fun and easy way, including information about roses such as a rose color guide and tips for proper care of roses to extend their blooming as well as information about in-store services such as floral wrapping, a list of wine suggestions to accompany the surf and turf meal and a Valentine’s Day shopping list.

Winn-Dixie is also offering a “Lover’s Lane” express checkout beginning Sunday Feb. 12 and continuing through Valentine’s Day that will enable guests purchasing Valentine’s Day related products to bypass standard checkout lanes and get out of the store quickly.
Winn-Dixie Stores operates approximately 480 retail grocery locations and approximately 380 in-store pharmacies in Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia and Mississippi.

“We have several goals with this effort,” Mr. Barnes said.

“The first is to demonstrate Winn-Dixie is using the latest technology to share information with our guests – both inside our stores and remotely – in a quick, easy way,” he said.

“We also want them to see the variety of solutions and information available at Winn-Dixie.com – information that makes their lives much easier.”

Final Take
Chantal Tode is associate editor on Mobile Commerce Daily,  New York