New Kroger Initiative Testing Wireless Coupons

Five major packaged-goods manufacturers are said to be working with the Kroger Co., Cincinnati, on in a new wireless coupon venture expected to be the biggest test of wireless coupons to date.

The initiative involves Procter & Gamble, Clorox, Del Monte, General Mills, and Kimberly-Clark. The vendors hope to reach consumers between the ages of 25 and 34 who are likely to have young families in need of baby, home-cleaning, and household products, but who don't read a lot of newspapers, according to a report on AdAge.com.

To participate, consumers must download Cellfire, a mobile-marketing application, to their cell phones. They can then shop Cellfire's mobile shopping mall to see which discounts are being offered. To select a discount, the shopper "checks it off" on the phone, creating a mobile shopping list.

The choices are automatically sent to the computers at Kroger, which identifies the consumer by his or her loyalty-card number at checkout, and the discount is automatically applied there, according to the AdAge report.

Cellfire has about half a million users today, and 70 percent are under 35, c.e.o. Brent Dusing told AdAge.

The service can be downloaded over the PC web, the mobile web, from all the major telecom carriers, and through text messages. Kroger plans to promote the program with in-store marketing.

Other retailers working with Cellfire include Hardee's, Hollywood Video, Taco Bueno, and 1-800-Flowers.
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