Two new mobile apps are streamlining the way farmers connect with their retailers to stay supplied and keep their operations running smoothly.
North Carolina-based GROWERS released its apps, named GROWERS and GROWERS Retail, on Oct. 30. The apps aim to make communication between farmers and retailers quicker and more efficient.
Farmers use the GROWERS application to search for discover and request products from their local retailers. And then the grower’s retail application is used by retailers to respond to those requests and provide feedback, advice, and recommendations to farmers that are engaging with them.
GROWERS CEO Steven Valencsin said there is currently no single source for farmers to research new products and learn how they fit in their agronomic system.
“We put that into a platform that enables them not only to research and discover those products, but also be connected with their local retailers that can provide ’em and sell them. On the retail side, more and more farmers are embracing technology to manage and run their business. Retail needs to have an answer on how they can address this growing segment of the market and engage with them in the way that they want to be serviced, which is in a digital way, in a more efficient way, and still maintain that relationship. And that’s precisely what GROWERS retail does.”
This allows retailers to help more people in a timely manner.
“It’s a very simple equation in that access to this platform and the farmers that are using this platform gives them a more efficient, cost-effective way to serve existing customers as well as acquire new ones. So lowering their customer acquisition costs and increasing the amount of farmers that one salesperson can service, it creates exponential ROI.”
This efficiency also provides farmers a return on their investment.
“From a farmer standpoint, a lot of the bottom line impact is done in just the efficiency and the convenience of organizing their entire input procurement process in one application where all of their records, all of their purchase history can be consolidated in one spot and then exported and reported on for many other purposes.”
Valencsin said relationships are an important part of the business of agriculture, and that is something GROWERS kept in mind while creating this technology.
“Traditionally, digital tools have threatened the relationship, not really enabled them. We see this across all industries, and so it was something that we were hyper-focused on when we developed this application. And we feel quite proud that we’ve enabled an environment where both retailers and farmers as well as manufacturers are supported in a way where nobody is disrupted.”
In fact, there’s immense value created for all three parties because it’s a collaborative ecosystem where manufacturers can support retailers, retailers can support farmers, and farmers ultimately get the value that they need and deserve from their partners in the agribusiness space.
Farmers who cannot find their retailer in the GROWERS app can send them an invitation.
“What we’ve delivered to the market is really transformational in the way that farmers and retailers do business, right? We’re moving into the 21st century. Technology is definitely going to be more of a bigger picture and how farmers do their business today in five years from now. And I feel proud that we finally delivered a solution to the market. It brings that efficiency and ease of use that farmers demand and deserve and does it in a way that actually supports and even enhances the customer experience that retailers can provide to the farmers that they serve.”
For farmers wanting a more organized way to research farm inputs and interact with their retailers, visit the app store and download the free GROWERS app. GROWERS Retail is available for retailers with an account set up with the GROWERS team. To inquire, please visit growers.ag/retailers and schedule a meeting.