How Coop fueled loyalty and retail media
Objective
Coop Denmark, a leading FMCG retailer operating 900 stores and serving 2 million cooperative members across Denmark, needed to strengthen customer loyalty in a highly fragmented market where shoppers typically visit four to nine competing grocery chains annually. The retailer aimed to increase daily app engagement, drive store visit frequency, and build memorable customer relationships through gamified in-app experiences.
Solution
Coop deployed a suite of chance-based games on Playable's SaaS gamification platform, embedded directly into its mobile app and released twice weekly with seasonal expansions (including a 24-day Christmas campaign). The game mechanics included scratchcards, slot machines, spin-the-bottle, and wheel-of-fortune formats, split into two tiers: simpler luck-based games with higher win probability and modest rewards, and advanced games with lower odds but larger payouts. Prizes were funded through a dual model: in-store Coop products drove foot traffic, while online prizes and branded items were funded by supplier partners who paid campaign fees, turning the initiative into a retail media channel. The platform reached 200,000 daily active app users.
Results
The Coop gamification campaign achieved 2.25 million game plays during a 24-day Christmas campaign with a 68% conversion rate, resulting in 500,000 in-store prize redemptions. Prize-redeeming players showed 9% higher basket sizes and visited stores 15% more frequently, while game winners spent twice as much on game-related products. The initiative scaled from 10 million plays in 2018 to 24.8 million by 2020.
