Dive Brief:

• Wakefern, the largest retailer-owned co-op in the U.S. and distributor for ShopRite stores, has partnered with tech firm Chicory on a shoppable recipe initiative that allows customers to load ingredients directly into their shoprite.com virtual cart, according to a company release. 
• ShopRite customers can shop any recipe from Chicory's network of 1,000 recipe sites. Once they choose a recipe, they can scroll to the button of a recipe's ingredients list and click "Get Ingredients." They can find the nearest ShopRite location by zip code, sign in to their ShopRite account and find the pre-loaded online shopping cart to complete the purchase.
• Through the ShopRite at Home e-commerce service, shoppers can choose to pick up their orders at their local store or receive them via home delivery.

Dive Insight:

Shoppable recipes have started to gain traction in the past year or so. They provide a similar level of convenience to meal kits but cut down on waste and give consumers additional variety. Although the products aren’t pre-portioned, shoppers can use the leftovers to recreate the recipe, and it gives consumers the freedom to alter portions to their liking.

For ShopRite customers, shoppable recipes offer an opportunity to combine culinary inspiration with the practical application of online shopping. The service could be a useful tool for loyal shoppers, and a way for ShopRite to reach a new group of potential customers who currently use Chicory's recipe sites.

Several retailers and CPG companies have been experimenting with shoppable recipes for a few years now. In November, shoppable recipe network Myxx partnered with Walmart, H-E-B and Albertsons. Cooklist is another service that tracks grocery purchases and turns them into recipes, while U.K.-based Whisk has about 100 million users. In 2017, Amazon partnered with Allrecipes and Walmart struck a deal with Buzzfeed’s Tasty.

Shoppable recipes could be an effective tool in boosting e-commerce trial and adoption. A survey conducted by meal planning service eMeals found that 32% of new users engaged in online shopping through their shoppable recipes, and 43% of those who used shoppable recipes were first-time online grocery users. 

Although a regional player, Wakefern is an important name in e-commerce, having launched online ordering way back in 2002. The retailer cooperative has continued to focus on innovation. Last summer it announced a tool that would give suppliers the ability to boost their promotional listings online. It has also been working with vendors to improve pricing.