Pinterest has announced a new partnership with grocery giant Albertsons, which will see the platform work with Albertsons on new technology integrations, primarily to provide in-app grocery shopping options, direct from Pin listings.
As explained by Pinterest:
“A new multi-year agreement will bring innovative AI and API technology to help grocery shoppers plan inspired, fresh meals. The collaboration also taps into Pinterest’s growing creator ecosystem, forward looking trends and new formats like Idea Pins, Pinterest’s multi-page video format.”
The main focus of the deal will see Pinterest facilitate new shopping options from Pins, including the capacity to directly order recipe ingredients in a few taps. In addition, Pinterest will also develop new ‘interactive shoppable tablescapes’, which will show Pinners how ingredients can be leveraged for multiple recipes.
Albertsons is also working with Pinterest on a new Pinterest Ambassador program, which will see selected Albertsons staff trained as dedicated Pin creators:
“Associates, many of whom have spent their professional lives around food, will inspire and engage customers, leveraging their store’s "fresh" food inventory and Pinterest search trends with the Idea Pins format. This program will allow ACI's workforce to use Pinterest’s creation tools in an exclusive way to reflect their knowledge, inspiration and pride.”
That will better highlight Pinterest to in-store shoppers, creating an integrated program that will connect Albertsons stores back to the social app.
Albertsons operates over 2,200 supermarkets across 34 states, with flagship brands like Albertsons, Safeway, Randalls and United Supermarkets among its retail chain. Importantly, Albertsons also offers grocery delivery services in 11 of the top 15 US markets, and with the recent rise of eCommerce as a result of the pandemic, that could make this new integration with Pinterest even more valuable.
Pinterest has seen a rise in user activity – particularly spending - during the pandemic, and recipes and food Pins have always been among the most popular categories on the platform.
Factor in the subsequent rise of meal kit delivery services like HelloFresh, and you can see where this partnership is headed, providing users with more choice in their food delivery options, with the simplicity of the kit meal approach.
If Pinterest can tap into this trend now, it could become an even more important app for more users, and with 93% of food and beverage weekly Pinners using the platform to discover new products, it could facilitate major opportunity, both for Pinterest and brands.
It’s a good integration, which makes a lot of sense, and could set the table for new usage pathways, further blending online and offline behaviors.
And if Pinterest can become the grocery shopping app for more people, that could drive major value for the company.
There are many elements that merge into this integration, and if Pinterest gets it right, all CPG brands will need to take notice.
