How METRO Used Mobile App Stories to Build Trust and Drive Business Results

TL;DR

METRO AG used in-app Stories to transform its mobile experience for professional customers such as hotels, restaurants, and catering companies. The initiative improved app usability, created new conversion paths, and positioned the brand as a culinary expert. 

After launch, 52% of app users began actively opening Stories, contributing to a 37% lift in conversion rate and a 34-second increase in session length. Stories enabled METRO to move beyond static app content and turn engagement into measurable business growth.

Why Did METRO AG Rethink Its Mobile Experience?

As a global wholesale brand serving hotels, restaurants, and catering professionals, METRO AG recognized that digital touchpoints were becoming central to customer loyalty and order behavior. While the METRO mobile app offered access to a large product catalog, it lacked clear differentiation.

To users, the app felt too similar to standard grocery platforms. Navigation was functional, but not inspiring. Conversion rates for digital orders remained flat, especially when it came to completing first-time purchases.

The brand needed a way to enhance the in-app journey, simplify product discovery, and make the experience feel more tailored to professionals, not just consumers.

What Were the Challenges?

1. Lack of Product Differentiation

The app experience mirrored generic grocery apps. There were no unique interface elements or standout content that made the METRO app feel different from competitors. As a result, users didn’t associate the app with the brand’s offline strengths.

2. Friction in the Purchase Journey

With such a wide product range, users often struggled to find what they needed. This complexity led to lower completion rates across the purchase funnel. Many users dropped off before completing their first order or building a recurring habit.

3. Weak Communication Touchpoints

Push notifications and banners weren’t enough. METRO needed more engaging, educational, and visually dynamic ways to guide users, promote products, and tell their brand story inside the app itself.

Cooperation with InAppStory

To address the challenges and enhance its mobile app's performance and user engagement, METRO AG choosed to implement mobile app Stories provided by InAppStory. By leveraging the power of Stories, the company has successfully created a new communication channel, native to the user with a wide range of engagement opportunities. This expands their omnichannel power, addressing several marketing goals at once, and even allows them to achieve a budget economy (due to higher LTV and partial substitution of paid communication channels).

Solution #1: Stories Create Incremental Revenue

Mobile app Stories embedded METRO AG to stimulate purchasing behavior through the introduction of the "Product of the Day" feature. By highlighting a specific product each day with exclusive offers or discounts, METRO created a sense of urgency and excitement among its users. Compared to standard marketing activities, this approach encouraged users to make immediate purchases, thereby boosting conversion rates and increasing revenue. The integration of this commercial attribute in Stories played a crucial role in driving sales and improving the overall financial performance.

Solution #2: Stories Provide Interactive Experiences

Mobile app Stories boost user engagement by providing an interactive and gamified experience in the METRO mobile app. Stories captivate users' attention and increase their stickiness to the app by leveraging various interactive mechanics such as quizzes, polls, and feedback features. This long-term retention strategy ensures that users continually return to the app to explore new Stories and engage with the content. The availability of interactivity with the mobile app made METRO AG's app stand out from the competition, promoting user loyalty and strengthening the app's positioning in the market.

Solution #3: Stories Help To Build Better Expertise

Mobile app Stories allow METRO AG to establish itself as an expert in the food industry. By featuring a wide range of recipes, cooking tips, and life hacks, the company positioned itself as a trusted source of culinary and food knowledge. Users associate the app with expertise and rely on it for valuable information, enhancing their perception of METRO AG as a confident and knowledgeable partner in their culinary journeys. This expertise not only increases user trust but also extends the customer's lifetime value (LTV) by creating a deeper connection and fostering long-term engagement with the app.

Overall the implementation of the mobile app Stories revolutionized METRO AG's approach to user engagement and performance. The incremental revenue, interactive experiences, and emphasis on expertise transformed the app into a compelling and unique platform. Through Stories, METRO AG successfully improved conversion rates, increased customer retention, built trust, and solidified its position as a leader in the food are.
 

Business Results

As a result of the Stories integration project, METRO has seen a positive increase in its mobile metrics and successfully gained a new and competitive mobile omnichannel approach. Customers were viewing the Stories and actively interacting with them - tagging, sharing with friends, and leaving positive feedback.

After the Stories have been successfully integrated, 52% of users have actively started to open them and thus, spending more time inside the mobile app. This was an impressive achievement, demonstrating the effectiveness of the Stories in capturing users' interest and prompting them to take action.
 

Furthermore, the Metro mobile app has seen a considerable increase in the conversion rate of up to 37%. Thus, more and more customers were willing to add specific or new products to their carts. In addition, this interactive content has also improved the communication with their audience, making it more effective and leading to a stronger connection between customers and the brand.

There was also a notable uplift in the duration of mobile app sessions within the METRO app. On average, the course of a single mobile app session increased by 34 seconds for those users who regularly engage with Stories. That signifies that users were highly engaged and spending more time interacting with the app, exploring the Stories, and discovering new products and offers. For insights into how food tech apps like METRO's are enhancing user engagement, check out the Food Tech Industry Insights Report.

What Made It Work?

This campaign didn’t rely on one tactic. It layered together multiple forms of value: timely promotions, professional content, and interactive storytelling. METRO didn’t just repurpose banners. It built a new channel inside the app that delivered consistent engagement. The format felt native, the content felt relevant, and the results showed up fast.

What You Can Learn from This Case

• Use Stories to shift from static UX to interactive journeys
• Highlight 1 product per day to guide purchases and build urgency
• Bring brand expertise into the app through educational content
• Embed quizzes and polls to drive habit-forming interaction
• Track engagement metrics that link directly to revenue, not just views
   

Want to implement Stories and achieve quick business results like METRO AG? Book a meeting today!