The Fresh Market, Firework Debut 1st-Ever Shoppable Video-Live Commerce Retail Media Network

Retailer seeks to improve customer experience, unlock new revenue streams, extend reach through expanded partnership

2/16/2023

The Fresh Market is using the Firework video commerce platform to offer a first-of-its-kind, video-driven retail media network experience.

The Fresh Market will use the video commerce platform provided by longtime partner Firework to launch the United States’ first-ever shoppable video-live commerce (SVLC) retail media network (RMN). The move comes during a period of unprecedented growth for RMNs, which more and more food retailers are employing. What’s more, retail media is expected to experience double-digit growth through 2024, when it’s expected to top $55 billion annually.

“Overall, the combined viewership of our first four Firework-powered livestreams exceeded 2 million views, and we saw conversion rates of the special-occasion meals featured in the livestream shoppable videos to be over 300% greater than our traditional digital advertising results,” said Kevin Miller, chief marketing officer at The Fresh Market. “Having proven the power of Firework’s video commerce content in 2022, we’re excited to offer our partners an innovative and differentiated means of storytelling in an entertaining new way. We call it Shoppertainment.”

While most RMNs depend on static display and search, The Fresh Market is using the Firework platform to offer a first-of-its-kind, video-driven RMN experience. The grocer will offer brands the opportunity to run video ads as sponsors across its ongoing livestream series, which features holiday meal prep tutorials and chef-developed recipes that are already driving extremely high conversion and engagement rates with Fresh Market shoppers.

“This newly expanded partnership is a game-changer, not only for The Fresh Market, but also for the entire retail media network landscape,” said Renee Caceres, VP of U.S. retail media at San Mateo, Calif.-based Firework. “With Firework’s video commerce platform, The Fresh Market is able to truly differentiate itself in the market by offering brands the opportunity to engage, inspire and convert shoppers in a way that is far more compelling than the traditional search and static display RMN offerings. Together, we’re enabling a fully integrated customer experience — bringing the immersive in-store experience online.”

The Fresh Market and Firework first teamed up in 2021, when the grocer chose the video commerce solution to enable its digital transformation initiative. Since then, The Fresh Market has seen rapid double-digit growth across a variety of key performance indicators, among them higher conversion and click-through rates.

Based in Greensboro, N.C., The Fresh Market, operating 159 stores in 22 states, is No. 78 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.