The barcode lets shoppers learn more about the local farmers who supply the stores where they shop.
Woolworths has now announced that it is rolling out QR codes, as of the start of this month, that will allow customers to be able to access details regarding the local growers who supply the stores with the fruit and vegetables that they buy.
The program is called Meet the Grower and includes a number of different kinds of media for information.
For instance, when the QR codes are scanned from a product’s package, it reveals the photo of the farmer who grew it, in addition to his or her URL, the length of time that the farmer has been supplying produce to Woolworths, and other information that customers may find useful and interesting.
The first product that will use the QR codes for the Meet the Grower program will be apples.
These apples are from Montague Fresh, a Victorian fruit supplier. The QR codes will eventually expand to include 57 more products over the span of the next couple of months. The company expects that by the end of this year, there will be about 100 products that have barcodes linking to their growers.
The head of produce at Woolworths supermarkets, Paul Harker, explained that QR codes have been applied in this way in order to respond to the interest that the store’s customers have shown in the history of the produce they are buying. Their shoppers have been asking for a way to learn more about where their fresh food comes from, and the store came up with a mobile friendly program using these barcodes in order to offer precisely that information.
Harker went on to explain that about 96 percent of the fresh vegetables and fruits that are sold at the Woolworths chain of grocery stores are grown right there in Australia. The QR codes help consumers to know precisely where in the country the produce was sourced and which farm grew it and provided it to the supermarket. This strategy will help consumers to gain the information that they want and to learn more about the importance of shopping local.
Square shows more aggression in the mobile commerce space
PayPal may soon have unprecedented competition as acclaimed mobile commerce firm Square makes a bold business move. Square has won attention in North America and elsewhere in the world for its approach to mobile commerce. Unlike some companies involved in this sector, Square has an interest in making mobile payments as accessible to consumers as possible. In order to accomplish this goal, the company developed a quarter-sized device that can be plugged into nearly any smartphone. This device allows consumers to make mobile payments as they see fit.
Square Market unveiled
Square boasts of a very productive partnership with Starbucks, which has seen a great deal of success in its adoption of mobile commerce. As Square grows to be more formidable in the highly competitive mobile commerce field, the company has taken steps to set it further apart from others in the sector. The firm has announced the launch of a new platform it calls Square Market. The Square Market exists as a platform through which merchants can list a variety of products, allowing consumers to browse and purchase with their mobile device.
Platform may be welcome among merchants
The Square Market has a somewhat ambitious goal in that it aims to blur the lines between online and offline commerce. Square has been somewhat successful in this endeavor through its other ventures in mobile commerce, but the Square Market represents the company’s boldest attempt to engage consumers in a new way. The Market platform is expected to find a great deal of favor with merchants as it offers them a variety of features, such as the ability to set up an online store nearly instantly.
Square takes aim at competitors
The Square Market is designed specifically to challenge platforms like Amazon, Etsy, and eBay. PayPal is has also been targeted by Square, which has ambitious plans to become more involved in the financial services realm in the future. PayPal has long dominated this sector and has established a strong foothold in the mobile commerce space. Square may find it difficult to dethrone PayPal, but has committed to putting up a good fight with its competitors.
