Latest news with #Gunnarsdóttir
The Guardian
26-06-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Women's Euro 2025: your guide to all 368 players
The Guardian is committed to extensive coverage of women's sports. If you value our sports reporting - including this interactive - and believe in the importance of independent journalism in an era of misinformation and threats to the media – please consider supporting our work on a one-off basis or with a small monthly amount. Having beaten Scotland in the qualifying playoff, Finland travel to Switzerland hoping to get out of the group. Read the team guide here. Saloranta has developed a very discplined side who play as a team and normally take their chances. Key players such as Kuikka, Pikkujämsä and Rantala have struggled with injuries. Finland are not the same without Rantala. Beat Germany 3-0 in Reykjavík last year, showing that they are a match for anyone on their day. Read the team guide here. Solid defensively with fast counterattacks. Look out for Jónsdóttir's long throws as an attacking threat. Have struggled to turn draws into wins in the past year and key player Viggósdóttir has been injured. Grainger appears to have built a better team spirit and created more unity, which was needed. Read the team guide here. In Hegerberg, Graham Hansen and Terland Norway have one of the best forward lines in Europe. Paradoxically they have struggled to score enough goals and have lacked rhythm in their attacking game. Excitement for the tournament has been building in the host country for months but form has not been good. Read the team guide here. The home support will be loud and in 19-year-old Schertenleib they have one of the most exciting youngsters on the continent. Legendary forward Bachmann tore her ACL in a pre-tournament camp and coach Sundhage has been tactically inflexible. Sacked Serneels after 14 years in charge. In came Gunnarsdóttir, who prefers a 5-4-1 formation. Read the team guide here. In Wullaert and Janssens, Belgium have two players perfectly suited to the new coach's counterattacking style. During the Nations League they could at times panic in possession, but Gunnarsdóttir has said they will work on that. Italy have gone through a modest generational change that has led to a somewhat surprising rebirth. Read the team guide here. Soncin has created a very fluid team, who can change shape during a game and in Cantore they have a potential matchwinner. Key player Dragoni will miss the tournament with injury, creating a huge gap in midfield for Soncin. The Navigators are looking to progress to the knockout phase of a major tournament for the first time. Read the team guide here. Barcelona's Kika Nazareth is one of the most exciting young players on the continent – and has just recovered from injury. The end of the Nations League was poor with four straight defeats. 'The only way out of the slump is hard work,' says Neto. The world champions have to be the favourites to win their first European Championship. They have the best midfield in the world and their forward line is full of goals with Pina, González and Paralluelo all able to finish as top scorer. They have lost a lot of experience with Hermoso and Andrés two players who are no longer in the squad. Have had a turbulent buildup, including a 6-1 defeat against Sweden. Denmark know how to get the ball into the box – they have an array of wing-backs who are excellent at putting crosses in. Jeglertz wants the team to be calm in possession but they sometimes hold on to the ball for too long. Losing the ball carelessly will be punished. Desperate to regain the title they won eight out of nine times from 1989 (as West Germany) to 2013. Coach Wück prefers to play on the front foot and his front four – Brand, Dallmann, Bühl and Schüller – are a frightening prospect for any defence. Have lost a lot of experience with the international retirements of Popp, Huth, Hegering and Frohms. Poland are playing in their first Euros, having overcome Romania and Austria in the playoffs. Patalon has built a very discplined side that defends as a unit. The players will not stop running for the cause. An over-reliance on the only superstar in the team, Barcelona's Pajor, for goals This will be Gerhardsson's last tournament after eight years in charge. Can he end his spell on a high? Sweden have a strong spine and the tournament knowhow needed to go far. There are also youngsters coming through. Can they open up a low block? They had trouble breaking down Wales in the Nations League – two draws – and Rolfö goes into the tournament with an injury. Lionesses aim to become first side to defend European Championship title since Germany in 2013. Talent-wise they are one of the best in Europe and they have a coach who has won the past two tournaments. The withdrawals of Bright and Earps shocked everyone and key players lack match practice. Bonadei has taken a huge gamble by leaving out the experienced Renard, Le Sommer and Dali. Baltimore and Diani are two of the quickest forwards around and in defence a new partnership has blossomed between Mbock and Lakrar. France now have a reputation of choking in major tournaments – are the players strong enough mentally to change the narrative? Coach will be replaced after the summer – and is not happy about it. They are under pressure going into the finals. There is an abundance of talent in the squad and the wing-backs will cause opponents trouble with their tireless running. There has been criticism in the Dutch media that the regeneration of this squad is taking too long and that the team going to Switzerland peaked some time ago. Wales may be the lowest-ranked team at the tournament – but they are not in Switzerland as tourists. A highly competitive side. Wilkinson has raised standards and, perhaps even more importantly, infused belief in a side led by the incomparable Fishlock. There is no denying that world-class quality is lacking in the squad and key member Ingle only just made it after injury.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Aisles Abroad: How an Icelandic grocer won shopper loyalty through gamification
This story was originally published on Grocery Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Grocery Dive newsletter. Aisles Abroad is a regular feature that examines notable grocery initiatives outside the U.S. Groceries and games can be a winning combo for boosting customer loyalty, Samkaup, an Icelandic grocer, has found. Samkaup scored a big win with its recent addition of in-app games, like spin-to-win, that give loyalty members the chance to win free products as prizes when that week's game becomes available, said Gunnur Líf Gunnarsdóttir, executive director of retail operations at Samkaup. Samkaup recorded 78,204 game attempts from December 2024 to January 2025, with 3,581 users winning prizes. In January, the grocer added more games to its roster. The gamification has created a new retail media revenue stream for Samkaup, which operates numerous grocery banners such as Krambúðin and Nettó. Participating brands can choose which type of game matches their product offerings and then provide free goods as prizes. After people win a product, they tend to keep buying it, Gunnarsdóttir said. For shoppers, the interactive games, which rotate weekly, tap into desires for free products and 'to play a little bit,' Gunnarsdóttir said. 'If you play for four weeks, you always win something,' she said. While weekends are typically the strongest days for in-store business, Gunnarsdóttir attributes a recent bump in foot traffic on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays to the games due to customers coming in those days to pick up their prizes. When Samkaup rolled out its loyalty program a few years ago, Iceland didn't really have a culture of loyalty systems outside of airlines, and no other grocer in the country had a loyalty offering, according to Gunnarsdóttir. Now, the program has about 100,000 people signed up — roughly one-fourth the population of Iceland, she said. The recent addition of the games stems from Samkaup's partnership with loyalty tech company Lobyco, which began in early 2021 when the Icelandic grocer launched its loyalty app for customers. On the launch day of the first game, 4,500 users played the spin-to-win game 5,300 times, with rewards such as a dozen cans of Pepsi Max and a 50,000 Icelandic Krona credit in the grocer's loyalty app, according to data provided by Samkaup. The number of gameplays has since skyrocketed. From January to February of this year, users played 34,316 times — roughly six times more than the launch day — and saw a win rate of 17.7%, according to data from the grocer. Currently, most of Samkaup's loyalty members play the games, and those players spend roughly 90% more in-store than those who don't play the games, Gunnarsdóttir said. 'People are playing the game again and again, and they're seeing the brand again and again,' she noted. To get the word out, Samkaup has in-store marketing and social media posts along with app pop-ups to alert people to the games, Gunnarsdóttir said, adding that there seems to be some word-of-mouth happening as well, given that loyalty program signups tend to increase when a new game drops. While grocery loyalty programs have a longer history in the U.S. than in Iceland, gamification is still an emerging area for retailers stateside. In 2023, Albertsons offered an online game during the summer to provide savings and prizes to users. In 2024, Instacart launched games such as a virtual wheel on its smart carts and Earth Fare gamified shopping through the rewards app Merryfield, letting customers earn points by interacting with fast facts, pop quizzes, quick polls and videos. More than half (55%) of U.S. respondents said they would describe gamification as 'very' or 'extremely' important when engaging with grocers, and 59% said they will visit a store to redeem rewards when they win, Lobyco reported last summer based on a survey of 2,168 people. However, only 6% of consumers have played a scratch-to-win or spin-to-win game, which Lobyco attributed to the underutilization of gamification by grocers. Going forward, Samkaup is looking to diversify the types of participating suppliers as well as better match games with in-store themes, Gunnarsdóttir said. On days when the grocer is promoting healthier food choices, 'we don't want to have chocolate in the game… [but instead] have something health-related' as the prize, she said. Gunnarsdóttir sees opportunities to personalize the experience in a way that is more closely tailored to shoppers as well as to add more seasonal games. 'Overall, the games have been extremely successful,' Gunnarsdóttir said. Recommended Reading Instacart adds games, personalized coupons to its smart carts Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Miami Herald
15-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Aisles Abroad: How an Icelandic grocer won shopper loyalty through gamification
Groceries and games can be a winning combo for boosting customer loyalty, Samkaup, an Icelandic grocer, has found. Samkaup scored a big win with its recent addition of in-app games, like spin-to-win, that give loyalty members the chance to win free products as prizes when that week's game becomes available, said Gunnur Líf Gunnarsdóttir, executive director of retail operations at Samkaup. Samkaup recorded 78,204 game attempts from December 2024 to January 2025, with 3,581 users winning prizes. In January, the grocer added more games to its roster. The gamification has created a new retail media revenue stream for Samkaup, which operates numerous grocery banners such as Krambúðin and Nettó. Participating brands can choose which type of game matches their product offerings and then provide free goods as prizes. After people win a product, they tend to keep buying it, Gunnarsdóttir said. For shoppers, the interactive games, which rotate weekly, tap into desires for free products and "to play a little bit," Gunnarsdóttir said. "If you play for four weeks, you always win something," she said. While weekends are typically the strongest days for in-store business, Gunnarsdóttir attributes a recent bump in foot traffic on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays to the games due to customers coming in those days to pick up their prizes. Winning over consumers When Samkaup rolled out its loyalty program a few years ago, Iceland didn't really have a culture of loyalty systems outside of airlines, and no other grocer in the country had a loyalty offering, according to Gunnarsdóttir. Now, the program has about 100,000 people signed up - roughly one-fourth the population of Iceland, she said. The recent addition of the games stems from Samkaup's partnership with loyalty tech company Lobyco, which began in early 2021 when the Icelandic grocer launched its loyalty app for customers. On the launch day of the first game, 4,500 users played the spin-to-win game 5,300 times, with rewards such as a dozen cans of Pepsi Max and a 50,000 Icelandic Krona credit in the grocer's loyalty app, according to data provided by Samkaup. The number of gameplays has since skyrocketed. From January to February of this year, users played 34,316 times - roughly six times more than the launch day - and saw a win rate of 17.7%, according to data from the grocer. Currently, most of Samkaup's loyalty members play the games, and those players spend roughly 90% more in-store than those who don't play the games, Gunnarsdóttir said. "People are playing the game again and again, and they're seeing the brand again and again," she noted. To get the word out, Samkaup has in-store marketing and social media posts along with app pop-ups to alert people to the games, Gunnarsdóttir said, adding that there seems to be some word-of-mouth happening as well, given that loyalty program signups tend to increase when a new game drops. Stateside gamification While grocery loyalty programs have a longer history in the U.S. than in Iceland, gamification is still an emerging area for retailers stateside. In 2023, Albertsons offered an online game during the summer to provide savings and prizes to users. In 2024, Instacart launched games such as a virtual wheel on its smart carts and Earth Fare gamified shopping through the rewards app Merryfield, letting customers earn points by interacting with fast facts, pop quizzes, quick polls and videos. More than half (55%) of U.S. respondents said they would describe gamification as "very" or "extremely" important when engaging with grocers, and 59% said they will visit a store to redeem rewards when they win, Lobyco reported last summer based on a survey of 2,168 people. However, only 6% of consumers have played a scratch-to-win or spin-to-win game, which Lobyco attributed to the underutilization of gamification by grocers. Unlocking the next level Going forward, Samkaup is looking to diversify the types of participating suppliers as well as better match games with in-store themes, Gunnarsdóttir said. On days when the grocer is promoting healthier food choices, "we don't want to have chocolate in the game… [but instead] have something health-related" as the prize, she said. Gunnarsdóttir sees opportunities to personalize the experience in a way that is more closely tailored to shoppers as well as to add more seasonal games. "Overall, the games have been extremely successful," Gunnarsdóttir said. Copyright 2025 Industry Dive. All rights reserved.
