<p>Kroger is announcing that it has purchased YOU Technology Brand Services, a Silicon Valley-based digital coupon and promotions company. YOU Tech will operate as an independent company within the Kroger family.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">"We intend to build and grow the premier retailer and customer-centric digital coupon platform in the industry, while continuing to deliver for our broad base of retail customers," said Cheryl Black, YOU Tech's chief executive officer. "We look forward to partnering with Kroger and other retailers and CPG companies to continue driving growth."<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">YOU Tech was founded in 2008 and provides a cloud-based platform for retailers, according to a Kroger press release. Its system bridges the gap between online engagement and in-store purchases by creating a measurable way for retailers and brands to drive consumer purchase decisions online, in-store, and on-the-go. YOU Tech's network has grown to include over 10,000 retail stores which represent over $100 billion in retail sales and 100 million US households.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">"This is a good strategic fit for both Kroger and YOU Tech. This transaction is consistent with our digital customer growth plan and provides Kroger a significant opportunity to expand our presence in Silicon Valley, enhancing our exposure to new technologies," said Jeff Talbot, Kroger's vice president of customer loyalty.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Kroger's seeks to strengthen its connection with customers through the growing digital and mobile channels. This strategy is apparently sound, since customer use of digital coupons has accelerated tremendously over the last few years. Kroger customers have downloaded 400 million digital coupons just in the last 12 months.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href="http://corp.softcoin.com/" target="_new"> YOU Technology Brand Services </a><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href="https://www.kroger.com/" target="_new"> Kroger </a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
