The Albertsons Cos. has struck a deal with Firework, a short-form video platform that supports shoppable, live stream video, to transform its digital offerings, bringing online shoppers a new browsing and purchasing experience.
In this first phase of the partnership, Albertsons Cos. will use Firework to deploy short video content and cooking experiences on websites of the various banners it operates including albertsons.com, safeway.com and starmarket.com. The partnership will expand with additional offerings and experiences in 2022, the retailer noted.
Firework enables its customers to create, host and curate immersive short-form and live stream video, effectively allowing Albertsons, in this case, to own, engage and monetize a community around short-form video. Swipeable, shoppable interactivity enables consumers to engage directly with brand and product videos, and on-site hosting provides Albertsons with direct access to consumer data and monetization opportunities via shoppable video content. Firework also gives Albertsons and other retailers the opportunity to sell “digital shelf space” to brands they carry in the form of video ad placement, establishing additional revenue potential.
“This partnership is an important step in Albertsons Companies digital transformation journey to redefine customer engagement in the grocery retail space,” said Chris Rupp, chief customer and digital officer at Albertsons Cos., in announcing the partnership. “This isn’t just about creating new ways to feature our products. This is about bringing delight and inspiration to digital shopping to make online experiences as fun as discovering new products in our stores. With Firework, we found the first platform capable of digitally recreating the sense of freshness, discovery and community that you previously could only find within our stores, all using the video and live stream formats that our digital shoppers love most.”
