Specialty grocer The Fresh Market has teamed up with “shoppertainment” platform Firework to bring the feel of in-store customer experience to the digital realm.
Under the multi-phase partnership, The Fresh Market’s owned media channels will incorporate Firework’s suite of live commerce and short-form “shoppable” video capabilities, the San Mateo, Calif.-based immersive video specialist said Wednesday.
Firework’s platform allows users to create, host and curate engaging short-form and livestream video on any website. That capability, the company said, enables any retailer, direct-to-consumer brand, media publisher or business to own, engage and monetize a community around short-form video. The “swipeable” interactive technology lets consumers engage directly with brand and product videos, while on-site hosting gives businesses direct access to consumer data and monetization opportunities from their shoppable video content. Retailers, too, can sell “digital shelf space” — in the form of video ads — to brands that they carry.
Since deploying the interactive video platform, The Fresh Market has seen video engagement grow fivefold and generated more than 12.9 million video engagements.
“Providing a premium, differentiated customer shopping experience has been central to The Fresh Market brand since its inception,” Kevin Miller, chief marketing officer at The Fresh Market, said in a statement. “We’ve always focused on making the in-store experience special, something you look forward to returning to. With Firework, we’re able to closely replicate that same personalized, one-of-a-kind shopping experience of joy and anticipation in the digital space, where next-generation consumers shop.”
The Fresh Market initially enlisted Firework for the chain’s digital transformation program in the fourth quarter of 2021. The goal: Extend the natural, organic and specialty food supermarket’s reach to next-generation consumers and sharpen its digital-first positioning. Since implementing the platform, video engagement increased fivefold, mainly via organic discovery on The Fresh Market’s homepage and email marketing, according to Firework. The grocer also generated more than 12.9 million video engagements and 220-plus days of watch time since going live with Firework during the holiday selling season.
“Our partnership with The Fresh Market is a perfect example of how Firework enables brick-and-mortar brands to translate their in-store successes to the digital space,” commented Jason Holland, chief business officer at Firework. “It’s an excellent reminder that ‘digital-first’ doesn’t mean ‘digital-only.’ Firework helps deepen connections between the digital and physical, in which online engagement draws new customers to stores, and in-store events drive sales and engagement online through live streaming. With Firework, we’ve proven that retailers can drive KPIs [key performance indicators] beyond any other digital consumer platform while still maintaining a single, unified customer experience that stays true to your brand and your values.”
Overall, Greensboro, N.C.-based The Fresh Market operates 159 stores in 22 states.
