Fetch Rewards CEO Wes Schroll Wants To Bring You Smarter Shopping

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Fetch Rewards is a free mobile app that makes shopping for groceries easier, cheaper, and more fun. They are currently operational in 7 states, as well as Puerto Rico, with expectations of an expanded national roll-out in the near future. We got in touch with Fetch’s CEO Wes Schroll to find out how, and why, Fetch Rewards came to be.

Q: Before we get into your and Fetch’s back-story, what exactly is Fetch?

A: Fetch is a free mobile app, that at it’s core, helps give shoppers a better experience while they shop for groceries. As shoppers plan their trip, they can create shopping lists right on Fetch, and view deals at their favorite Fetch store, as they plan their trip. Future versions of Fetch will further enhance our list capabilities, and add a robust recipe solution giving shoppers a one-stop-shop for meal planning. While in-store, shoppers scan their items using the camera on their smart device as they shop with the Fetch app. As they scan items, they can see a running cart total, as well as automatically apply coupons that are available in Fetch. Shoppers also receive Fetch Points for every item they scan and buy. These Fetch Points can be accumulated and used to get items in their cart for free at checkout. When ready to checkout, a cashier scans a single barcode on the shoppers mobile device, the shopper pays as they normally would, and they’re on their way.

Q: Why did you start Fetch?

A: The origin of Fetch was rather simple. It was born from experiencing a number of frustrations during the shopping experience and having the hardheadedness to think there was something we could do to change it. At the time, I had just finished my Freshman year at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and was moving out of the dorms for my Sophomore year. I needed to grocery shop for myself for the first time ever in my life, and wanted to try as many different stores as I could to see which one would be right for me. From Walmart to Target to Whole Foods to local independents and more, I was willing to try out any of these. I realized that no matter what the location or format was, there were a number of pain points that for me added up to it being an experience I did not look forward to doing. From being on a budget and not having a running total as you go through the store (what online website would not show your cart and a running total?), to not having easy access to coupons, all the way through checkout being a standstill, it was clear that something could be done to improve the in store experience.

The next obvious step was to understand if others were experiencing these same issues. Thankfully our market research was easy, and rather unanimous. We talked to a lot of shoppers, and were amazed to find how many people just accepted the status quo, and didn’t realize how much of a pain point it was until we asked questions like “what if you had a running total as you added items into your cart, so you knew how much you were spending?” Once it was clear that it was a problem that was nearly ubiquitous, we knew we had to do something about it. There are hundreds of millions of grocery transactions that occur each year. If we could make those experiences just a tiny bit better, imagine the total value we would be creating! We were hooked from there.

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Q: In 10 years, what is the one thing that will make Fetch famous?

A: In 10 years, Fetch will be most famous for making grocery shopping enjoyable. We’ll be famous for erasing pain-points that shoppers currently experience. That’s definitely what we’re most excited for and inspired by. If you ask retailers however, they will very likely say that Fetch is famous for helping independent retailers remain competitive as the world consolidates around them, by increasing loyalty and value of their shoppers. Again, it all comes back to a shopper-first mentality. Do right by shoppers, and these retailers will thrive.

I also suspect that the business world will look back on Fetch as a company that challenged a historically slow moving industry, and instead of side-stepping certain parties (think delivery companies who are using the stores solely to pick items for their customers), did so by uniting a huge portion of them for the betterment of the entire industry.

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Q: What can we expect from Fetch in the future?

A: First and foremost you will see Fetch coming to a neighborhood near you. We are heads down and working with incredible partners that are going to enable Fetch to expand at an unprecedented rate over the next 24 months. Our mobile shopping platform has been stress tested beyond belief, and we’ve proven out the desire of shoppers to use Fetch. Now we’re ready to focus on retail partnerships to grow the Fetch user base.

Aside from pure retail growth, we are also in the process of crafting long term partnerships with different delivery/click-to-collect providers. We believe that Fetch services as a bridge technology that introduces shoppers to the idea of other forms of digital shopping. It is important for us to find partners with the same vision and understand that these service providers will need to come together to create a seamless experience for shoppers.

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Q: If you had to boil it down to one factor, what is the one thing that will make Fetch succeed?

A: That is an easy one, our team. From day one we have been lucky enough to be able to attract some of the best minds to come work on the massive challenges of the industry. We come from all kinds of backgrounds, but everyone here has bought into the fact that they are a now a part of something much bigger than themselves. They said no to a comfortable secure job at a bigger company and instead took a risk on an idea that spoke to them for one reason or another.

At the end of the day our people will make the company a huge success or will help fight to the very end. Either way, I will be most proud of what we have been able to accomplish together and remember the amazing times we have had together. When no one else wanted to bet on us, we had each others backs and did not take no for an answer.