BERKELEY, Calif.—You can do some push-ups while waiting for your bakery order at the Andronico’s.
At the company’s Shattuck Avenue location, foot and hand guides — both adult- and kid-size — adorn the floor and a post near bakery, adjacent to the produce department. They suggest shoppers do some exercise while they wait.
I did a few. Why not? It was a fun idea, one of many Andronico’s Community Markets added since CEO Suzy Monford took over last year.
Monford, a wellness coach, fitness program creator and retail veteran, says the chain of Bay Area stores needed to find a way to reach new customers and engage the ones it already had.
In January, Andronico’s launched Fit Market, a marketing program tied to FitBank.Works, an app Monford developed that incentivizes participants to check in and log workouts at participating gyms and fitness clubs. Andronico’s and vendor partners issue gift cards and gift certificates for products in-store when workout goals and thresholds are met in FitBank.
So far, the program has been the largest and most successful marketing campaign the company has done, Monford says, and it came at a critical time.
“We are a small company, born in Berkeley in 1929 and literally losing customers daily,” she says. “We’re using Fit Market and FitBank.Works to become relevant with again in a whole new way.”
Throughout the store, messaging encourages consumers to exercise and eat healthful foods through Fit Market signage and promotions. Andronico’s also turned to chef Lisa Smith to reformulate grab-and-go foods to offer better-for-you options, including more produce.
“Obviously, produce is a massive part of the program,” she says. “We’re encouraging people to eat fresh, eat actual apples as opposed to processed, and half their plate every meal is ideally filled with produce.”
While the Fit Bank app population is small so far, it’s quite loyal, Monford says. It currently has a 94% conversion rate and 84% retention rate. It’s also about to scale up. In mid-August, the program is partnering with the University of California-Berkeley’s Caltopia fair, which welcomes students back to campus.
Monford sees further developments in the app’s future, including integration with other exercise and wellness programs. Vendor support has been enthusiastic as well. Produce companies such as Organic Girl, Earthbound Farm and The Oppenheimer Group have all participated with fitness incentives.
“If you try to incite people to lead healthier lifestyles by telling them everything they cannot have, it’s not very self-sustaining,” Monford says. “With this program, we’re able to reward people for coming in and shopping in the store. That’s giving the retailer what they need, and helping us reinvest in maintaining the freshest, healthiest foods possible.”