Powering Democratised Wellness with Nutrition Intelligence
Healthier Habits by Schnuck Markets
The challenge of navigating complex nutritional data often prevents consumers from making healthier choices, particularly when faced with inconsistent product claims.
Schnuck Markets sought to eliminate this friction by launching a transparent, evidence-based health programme that could scale across their entire retail ecosystem.
At a Glance: Project Overview
| Client Details | Name: Schnuck Markets Sector: Grocery Retail Country: USA Other Case Studies: Swaps |
| Go-Live | 2021 Launched as ‘Good For You’ |
| Platforms | In-store Online Mobile App Loyalty Program |
| Spoon Guru Products | Predictive Recommendations Product TAGs® – Bespoke for Healthier Habits |
| Spoon Guru Solutions | Food Scoring Food Recommendations |
| Applications | In-store Schnucks Rewards App E-commerce CRM & Marketing |
| Benefits | Increased Basket Spend Enhanced Loyalty Engagement Improved Basket Health Higher Shopping Frequency Enhanced SNAP Participation |
Allison Primo
Manager, Health & Wellness Strategy, Schnuck MarketsThe Challenge: “One-Size-Fits-All” Health Labels
The primary barrier to wellness in retail is the cognitive load required to break established purchasing patterns, complicated by the absence of a unified, category-specific standard to identify healthier foods amongst thousands of diverse SKUs.
Fragmented product data and inconsistent health labelling create friction, as “one-size-fits-all” health metrics fail to account for the nuance between a healthy yoghurt and a healthy cereal. This lack of granular, value-based data made it difficult for Schnucks to provide the clear, consistent guidance needed by their shoppers.
The Solution: Deploying High-Tech Nutrition Intelligence
To resolve data discrepancies, Spoon Guru implemented an API-first solution featuring a logic-based scoring mechanism with strict thresholds aligned with official public health guidance.
By utilising a “Human-in-the-loop” model, combining advanced AI with the expertise of Registered Nutritionists, we developed a complex nutrient profiling system that processed raw metadata through 450 distinct nutrition rules. This rigorous framework established category-specific health definitions across 33 product types, allowing for the rapid analysis of food data at scale while maintaining clinical integrity. By turning unstructured data into a transparent validator, the system ensured that every suggested alternative was not only a viable culinary substitute but also a scientifically sound choice that shoppers could instinctively trust.
The Application: Seamless Discovery Across the Omnichannel Journey
The solution manifested as a frictionless front-end experience where “Healthier Habits” identifiers were integrated into the Schnucks rewards app, online store, and physical shelf-edge signage. By connecting these Product TAGs® to the existing loyalty programme, Schnucks was able to reward customers for making better choices, turning a complex nutritional journey into a simple, incentivised discovery process.
The Impact:
Commercial Growth Through Positive Behaviour Change
Higher Shopping Frequency:
Healthier Habits members shop 32% more frequently per week compared to standard rewards members, demonstrating a significantly higher level of brand integration
Commercial Growth
On average, programme members spend $11 more per week than non-member reward shoppers
Deepened Digital Engagement:
Digital interaction for Healthier Habit members is high, with 3.1 weekly app visits compared to just 0.5 visits for standard members
Inclusive Nutritional Success:
Participation amongst SNAP recipients is higher within the Healthier Habits programme (24.9%) than in the general rewards population (15.4%)
Elevated Marketing Engagement:
The programme drives a 46% email open rate, exceeding the grocery industry average of 36.6% and indicating a highly receptive audience for nutritional content
Bridging the Gap: The Intersection of Science and Personalisation
By replacing nutritional ambiguity with a transparent, data-driven framework, Schnuck Markets successfully transformed their supermarket into a proactive partner in every customer’s health journey.
Spoon Guru is committed to creating solutions based on their client’s objectives and unique needs. For us it was a dynamic TAG to highlight the nutrient dense items in our stores, which incorporates a set of intricate nutrition rules. This innovative approach has empowered us to efficiently analyze food offerings resulting in an approachable way for customers to easily find and choose healthier options when shopping at Schnucks. These tags are not only integrated in store but also online and within our loyalty rewards app, ensuring we can support customers on their health journey no matter how they shop.”