The Lithuanian-based sustainable mobility platform “Walk15”, which provides step challenges and step discount solutions to businesses and consumers, has expanded into a new market. Through its continued partnership with the “REWE Group,” users of the “#walk15” app can now exchange their accumulated steps for discounts at over 350 stores belonging to one of Romania’s largest retail chains, “PENNY”.
Uniting over half a million users worldwide, the platform serves as a solution for businesses and organizations to achieve sustainability, health, and sustainable mobility goals.
Results in Lithuania led to the opening of a new market
In order to engage existing and attract new customers, the startup “Walk15” offers special deals to users of its “#walk15” app, allowing them to redeem discounts using the steps they have accumulated through walking. Thanks to the long-standing partnership with the international retail network “REWE Group”, this practice promoting positive consumption habits now expands to Romania.
“We started our partnership with “IKI” back in 2020, and since 2021, discounts for fruits and vegetables have been available in all “IKI” stores in Lithuania. We are very pleased that successful results and a growing number of daily customers have allowed us to open the doors to another new market. Today, combining health and sustainability is very relevant”, says Vlada Musvydaitė-Vilčiauskė, the founder of “Walk15”.
It is calculated that a total of over 9.6 billion steps have been already redeemed in physical or online “Walk15” customer stores. Just by converting steps into discounts for fruits and vegetables in “IKI” stores, the distance covered is equivalent to 40 trips around the Earth. This initiative has gained recognition in the form of the “PR Lapės” award and became a winner in the international “Digital Communication Awards”.
Seeking to integrate online and offline channels
The startup’s team anticipates that once established in Romania, the statistics for user shopping activity in exchange for steps will double.
“In each “PENNY” store, by scanning the “#walk15” app at the checkout and exchanging 20,000 steps, shoppers will receive a 20% discount for fruits and vegetables selection. Users can take advantage of this healthy habit-promoting offer an unlimited number of times, even when shopping multiple times a day”, says V. Musvydaitė-Vilčiauskė.
Representatives from the “PENNY” retail chain expressed their enthusiasm for the new project. The step-based wallet functionality is beneficial for organizations aiming at social responsibility, sustainability education, and customer engagement.
“We aim to make walking a healthy habit for our consumers. We are very excited about the idea of combining offline and online channels to achieve this goal. We eagerly await the first results”, said Andrei Cismaru, CRM Team-Leader from “PENNY”.
The list of products eligible for step-based discounts is expected to expand.
Notable partnerships
As expansion into the new market was planned, a sales specialist from Romania joined the startup’s team in the spring of this year. In addition to the “PENNY” retail chain, “Walk15” has also established partnerships with one of Romania’s largest cities, various companies, and organizations.
Over the four years of activity, the sustainable mobility platform “Walk15” has become a regularly used solution for many Lithuanian and international organizations, encouraging and promoting healthy, sustainable, and responsible mobility habits among employees, customers, and other target groups. In response to growing demand, the platform introduced a new service this year: annual step challenges.
“Walk15” became one of the first startups in the Baltic countries to attract investment from the European Union’s mobility initiative, the “EIT Urban Mobility” fund “Impact Ventures”. The platform’s list of strategic partners includes organizations such as the European basketball tournament EuroLeague, the international insurance company “ERGO”, and many others.
In addition to Lithuania and the newly opened Romanian market, “Walk15” operates successfully in Germany, Denmark, and Latvia, with the “#walk15” app accessible to users worldwide in 25 different languages.
