Customers

Agreements with third parties to enhance the shopping experience in Spain

The implementation of third-party agreements to include services not seen up to now in the distribution sector have played a key role during the year. The objective is to bring customers closer to the concept of “total shopping”; in other words, have consumers satisfy their large purchasing needs in the group’s establishments.

Agreement with ING for cash withdrawals at the cash register

In September 2016, the DIA Group signed an agreement with the Dutch Bank ING, implementing a service that allows customers of the financial institution to withdraw cash in DIA’s store network throughout Spain.

Through the Twyp Cash mobile application, users can request the withdrawal of a minimum of 20 euros and up to a maximum of 150 euros using their mobile devices at the cash registers of the DIA Group banners (DIA Market, DIA Maxi, La Plaza de DIA, Clarel and El Árbol), provided the transaction is always associated with a purchase. This service was gradually implemented from September, reaching nearly 2,900 own stores at the end of 2016. In the first four months of operation, more than 220 users registered to use this application.

With this new service, DIA seeks to improve the customer’s shopping experience and make it easier for consumers who are not yet customers to use the extensive store network to withdraw cash. Likewise, this agreement makes it possible to take advantage of synergies with the rest of the digital services that DIA already offers, such as the application to manage shopping on smartphones or the use of digital coupons.

La Plaza de DIA through the Amazon Prime Now service

In September 2016, DIA also announced an agreement with Amazon whereby the La Plaza de DIA format would have an online platform on Amazon Prime Now. This provides DIA with a new sales channel within the world’s largest online sales platform, also taking advantage of the synergies arising from the joint activity between both companies.

The virtual La Plaza de DIA store on Amazon Prime Now offers customers a total of 5,300 SKUs that can be received within one hour with the most premium service, or in two-hour delivery time slots for deliveries to Madrid. The product range includes all of the company’s own-label products: DIA for mass consumption products, Delicious for the Premium line, Bonté for personal care and hygiene, Baby Smile and Junior Smile for baby care and AS for pet food, in addition to fruit, vegetables, fish, and meat trays.

At the close of 2016, and after only four months of activity, more than 40,000 orders had been delivered through this service.

Direct mobile device payment with Samsung Pay

The effort the company has been making to make life increasingly easier for digital customers has also resulted in an agreement signed in Spain with Samsung, whereby it is now possible to pay in more than 2,200 own stores using the Samsung Pay application. This is a service using NFC (Near Field Communication) technology that enables payments from mobile devices quickly and easily at the cash register.

This involves a mobile device payment service that is similar to the one that has been available since last year in all of DIA’s own stores in China. Using the WeChat platform, customers can make payments on mobile phones, using a payment procedure attached to a bank card, thus providing customers with a secure, quick, and efficient payment method.