Testr
Testr is the first supermarket that originally sold goods without payment. It opened in Denmark in 2014 under the name Freemarket Copenhagen . In addition to a monthly flat fee, customers committed themselves to consideration, which is mainly based on marketing in social networks or on participation in market research surveys. The concept has now been converted to a virtual currency and voluntary consideration.
The supermarket concept was founded by Simon Taylor. The advertising specialist Taylor founded the business model on the Internet over a year before the store opened. The articles came in the mail at the time and membership was free. With the opening of the branch in Frederiksberg, the sales concept changed.
Business models
Original “free” concept
Each customer paid a monthly usage fee of 19 Danish kroner (around 2.55 euros), but had to fill out questionnaires about the free goods and post photos on social networks. Customers could choose up to ten different products from the supermarket's range.
In addition to market research, many companies use the supermarket for their advertising. The supermarket was originally financed only by the manufacturer and the monthly fees. The manufacturers make new products available there in order to bring them onto the market or to test the market value. The number of freemarket members in Copenhagen had already doubled from 5,000 to 10,000 after one month.
Adapted concept: payment and fictitious currency
According to Taylor, after around six months and the number of members had grown to 20,000, it became clear that many customers had bought goods without any real interest. The business model was adapted and the store was renamed Testr . The aim was to have around 5000 customers who were supposed to buy out of “real interest”. Under the new name, customers have to exchange Danish kroner for the virtual currency "Testr-Krone", for which they can buy at market prices. Participation in market research and promotion on social networks is only optional on a voluntary basis, but is remunerated with kroner in the virtual currency.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Freemarket Copenhagen on Focus.de
- ^ Süddeutsche Zeitung: Market research in the supermarket - customers on duty. Retrieved October 29, 2014 .
- ↑ Helmut Steuer: In this supermarket the goods are (almost) free. The World, Misc., Sept. 1, 2014
- ↑ Grat is supermarked sejrer sig selv ihjel. Politiken, January 16, 2015