Mapping, Tracking and Rewarding For Each GroceryTrip

Expanding on the local rewards loyalty cards concept— Through an online platform, tracked by a grocery card, purchases are mapped so consumers understand food origin. Buying food with low travel distances and taking a 'groupon' gamble on local food will earn earn additional discounts.

Grocery stores loyalty cards not only reward customers for buying local but also the cards would also track the location (farm) of where the food-product originates. An online mapping platform (like sourcemap.org) could map the locations of all the products purchased for each grocery trip and the total distance that all food products traveled. Customers could be awarded an additional discount if total travel distances for food products were under a set determined distance. Grocery trips could be logged and mapped to see change behavior and patterns over time, especially decreased food travel distances and consistency in local food purchases. Ultimately buyers could make a connection with farms after purchasing food products from the same farms over an extended period of time—creating loyal relationship.


Data could be tracked to allow individuals to compare themselves against the buying behavior of customers in total. The online platform could show the break down of which food products customers bought (for example local vs. non-local apples). The store could even adapt a ‘Groupon’ idea where if enough customers bought the more local (perhaps more expensive product) the price of that product would be lowered to the to match the food products cheaper counterpart and customers would receive a refund coupon that would go towards their next grocery trip. Customers would be motivated to encourage friends, neighbors, and fellow shoppers to buy more local foods in hopes of their gamble paying off.