Case StudiesQuality Foods

Quality Foods, an independent grocery chain with eight locations spanning across Georgia and South Carolina, has been an integral part of communities for over 35 years. With a steadfast commitment to offering top-notch products and exceptional customer service, Quality Foods has earned a trusted reputation with their shoppers and in the grocery industry overall.

Challenges Faced During the Pandemic

The aftermath of the pandemic presented unprecedented challenges for Quality Foods. Transitioning from the intense demands of ensuring product availability during COVID-19 to adapting to a “new normal” posed significant hurdles for Quality Foods to overcome. The decline of EBT and changing consumer behaviors amidst economic uncertainty and high inflation further complicated Quality Foods’ path forward.

AppCard & MDI Partnership Leads to Success

Amidst these challenges, Quality Foods found a valuable ally in AppCard,the leading personalized marketing, shopper analytics, and digital coupon platform focused on independent grocers. AppCard’s partnership with MDI, Quality Foods’ wholesaler, allowed for Quality Foods to seamlessly integrate the AppCard platform into their day-to-day operations.

One extremely successful initiative Quality Foods has implemented is the use of SMS communication with their shoppers. Using AppCard’s text communication feature, Quality Foods executed targeted campaigns that drove significant foot traffic and increased basket sizes. MDI initiatives like Free Item Friday and Throwback Thursday, also facilitated through AppCard’s platform, garnered exceptional engagement from shoppers, resulting in substantial returns for Quality Foods.

Quality Foods has capitalized on AppCard’s capabilities to launch successful promotions and personalized discounts based on shopper behavior. The strategic timing of promotions, coupled with effective communication through SMS blasts and email marketing, have significantly boosted customer engagement and loyalty.

AppCard’s in-lane touchscreen terminal has revolutionized customer enrollment and engagement. Quality Foods witnessed nearly a tenfold increase in digital coupon redemptions, attributing this success to the convenience and simplicity of having the terminal in-lane. The  terminal also makes it easy for cashiers to promote the program, resulting in heightened customer participation and loyalty.

The ongoing support from AppCard’s success managers, in collaboration with MDI, has proved instrumental for Quality Foods’ success. Working together as a team, they have devised tailored strategies, analyzed campaign results, and provided valuable insights to optimize the rewards program continually. 

Looking Ahead

As they continue their use of the AppCard platform, Quality Foods aims to further enhance customer engagement by focusing on cashier training and leveraging data-driven insights to personalize marketing efforts. The AppCard dashboard provides robust data analytics that can be used to create promotions specifically informed by the numbers. Utilizing the resources provided by AppCard and MDI is crucial to effectively engage shoppers and drive business growth.

Quality Foods’ partnership with AppCard, facilitated by MDI, has empowered them to navigate the challenges of a post-pandemic landscape successfully. By leveraging AppCard’s innovative solutions and collaborative support, Quality Foods has strengthened customer relationships, increased foot traffic, and positioned itself for continued growth and success in the competitive grocery market.


AppCard is a Member of the Intel IoT Solutions Alliance. A global ecosystem of more than 800 industry leaders, the Alliance offers its Members unique access to Intel technology, expertise, and go-to-market support, accelerating the deployment of best-in-class solutions. Powered by Intel CPU, AppCard J-brain ensures data is captured at the EDGE and transferred to the cloud where we run our machine learning and AI to guarantee that offers, rewards and campaigns are all personalized to shoppers and employees.