PRNewswire/ -- Cellfire Inc., the only nationwide mobile coupon and discount offer service, today announced the availability of mobile grocery coupons in partnership with Kroger, the nations largest traditional grocer, and more than a half-dozen leading consumer product manufacturers. For the first time, consumers can achieve savings on individual grocery items using their mobile phone. The new capability is presently available to Kroger consumers in Georgia, South Carolina, Eastern Tennessee and Alabama, and includes savings on dozens of brands from leading consumer product manufacturers: Clorox, ConAgra, Del Monte, General Mills, Kimberly-Clark and Unilever.
"We're constantly seeking new innovations to provide our customers with more ways to save," said Glynn Jenkins, director of communications of the Atlanta Division of Kroger. "With Cellfire, the ability to access grocery coupons using their cell phone helps our customers to save both time and money, resulting in a satisfying shopping experience that truly delivers on our 'customer first' promise."
For consumers, mobile coupons eliminate time-consuming paper coupon clipping, the hassle of printing online coupons, and the inconvenience of having to remember to bring them to the store and use them at checkout. With mobile coupons consumers can discover savings wherever they may be: at home, at work or on the go.
To get started with the Cellfire mobile coupon service at Kroger, consumers register with Cellfire and link their Cellfire account to their Kroger Plus card. Consumers view coupons within Cellfire on their phone and the coupons they select to use are automatically loaded to their Kroger Plus card. Consumers simply shop, use their Kroger Plus card at checkout, and discounts on qualifying items are automatically applied. Once the coupon is used or it expires, it is automatically deleted from the consumer's phone and Kroger Plus card.
Advertisers have been slow to embrace online coupons due to fraud and security concerns, but with Cellfire mobile coupons, fraud and mal-redemption is less likely because redemption occurs digitally in a closed-loop. Advertisers also have complete control and can quickly present new coupons based on prior offer performance. They also gain unique shopper insight from aggregated redemption data that's not available via other coupon distribution channels allowing them to better serve consumers.
"Mobile couponing is a winning initiative for us. Cell phones are always with the consumer and association with the grocer savings card makes it simple and convenient," said Karl Schmidt, director of promotional marketing at General Mills. "Plus, mobile is an exciting new medium that extends our reach and influence to a younger generation of shoppers who are less inclined to clip coupons from newspapers, circulars, or direct mail."
As food and gas prices continue to rise and the economy experiences slow growth, more consumers are re-discovering the value of coupons. CMS, a leading coupon processing agent for grocery brands, reported that Americans redeemed 2.6 billion manufacturers' coupons in 2007, which is the first time in 16 years that coupon redemption remained constant instead of continuing it's year-over-year decline. Mobile coupons now make these savings even more accessible.
"By partnering with the number one traditional grocery chain in the U.S. and serving coupons from the top packaged goods manufacturers in the world, we're making it even easier for consumers to stretch their dollar during this period of economic uncertainty," said Brent Dusing, CEO of Cellfire. "At a time when consumers are most interested in saving with coupons, we're delivering a solution that literally provides savings in the palm of their hand through coupons on their mobile phone."
To enjoy the Cellfire savings at Kroger, consumers can visit Cellfire.com or they can send a text message with the keyword KROGER to 22888, to receive instructions on how to access the offers on their phone. New grocery offers will be available on Cellfire every two weeks.
Consumers access the Cellfire mobile coupon service through an easy to use mobile application that resides on their cell phone or through a mobile Web browser. New offers are added frequently, and users can access the Cellfire service at their convenience to discover and use discounts specific to their geographic area. Coupons are displayed in an organized manner, allowing consumers to navigate through coupons by category and select the offers they want to use. Cellfire is a free service, although standard data or usage charges may apply depending on the carrier or data plan.
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