These are busy times we live in. We spend too much time working, commuting, emailing, and scrolling away on our phones. Like everybody else, you probably wish that you had the time to cook a nice dinner and enjoy it with your loved ones, but there just aren’t enough hours in the day. Then your Facebook or Instagram feed shows you one of those overhead time-lapse videos of someone making a Mexican lasagna in 2 minutes. Maybe today’s the day that, after work, you can actually cook a lovely sit-down dinner. But inevitably you get home and find out that your tomato sauce is moldy, you only have half the cheese you need, and that tin of jalapenos you thought was in the cupboard has mysteriously disappeared. Looks like Domino’s again. But with Walmart and other brands and retailers heavily investing in shoppable recipes, making dinner is about to get a whole lot easier.

A Tasty Partnership

The Buzzfeed offshoot Tasty is responsible for a lot of those overhead recipe videos that we’ve all been hypnotized by. They’ve had a partnership with Walmart for two years, but until now they’ve only sold the cookware and utensils needed to cook the recipes they promote. That’s about to change, with the companies announcing that they’ll be utilizing software which will connect a user to the nearest Walmart store and ensure that they can get the ingredients needed. The technology will also allow users to swap out items if they have dietary requirements or preferences for specific brands, and let them schedule same-day delivery or pick-up (a feature that will only be available at certain locations). This partnership combining a trusted retailer and a leading content creator will push the growing shoppable recipes market into millions of households.

Shoppable Recipes And The Internet Of Things

The potential of shoppable recipes isn’t as simple as getting your ingredients delivered quickly. We’ve written before about the “Internet of Things”, a world in which every device and appliance is connected and communicating. With 5G networks set to revolutionize the way we use the internet, the Internet of Things is about to be a reality for just about everyone. Retailers and brands in the FMCG industry are just now waking up to the potential this revolution has for shaking up their industry, and shoppable recipes could be the first wave of change.

As everything becomes connected, the makers of smart appliances are scrambling to find the right ways to offer consumers convenience. By utilizing software and hardware-based on personalized taste profiles, shoppable recipes, nutritional needs and preferences, and even the contents of your refrigerator, the way we make dinner is about to undergo a sea-change. Your phones and appliances will be connected to leading retailers, and to endless sources of information and recipes. If the algorithms and AI involved live up to their potential, the recommendations they offer will be exactly what you’re looking for, the ingredients you need will be seamlessly purchased and delivered by the retailer of your choice. The recipe will also be communicated to your oven, which will pre-heat itself, and cook your chicken perfectly even if you forget all about it.

An analogy we like to use is Google Maps. In the pre-internet era, you’d need to painstakingly study a book of maps, and carefully follow a set of directions to get where you wanted to go. Now you can simply tell your phone an address, and it does the rest. While changes like this have occurred in transportation, entertainment, and a host of other industries, the way we buy groceries and cook has remained stubbornly analog. Shoppable recipes could be the tipping point that pushes making dinner into the digital era. Cookbooks and complicated recipes could go the way of the book of maps in your glove compartment as a simpler, easier way of doing things emerges. The convenience and value that shoppable recipes can offer consumers will prove far too alluring to resist. 

Why Shoppability Is The New Holy Grail For Brands

Consumer trust in brands is at an all-time low, with 54% of consumers reporting that brands don’t have their best interests in mind. If you’re in the marketplace making bold claims about your product, customers aren’t going to listen, even if your message is the truth.

To get them to try products and believe the hype, you need to offer them something. Shoppable recipes are a perfect way to provide them with a tangible, helpful service. Having the ingredients for a delicious meal delivered to their doorsteps, along with a helping hand in preparing it perfectly is something that will brighten up anyone’s day. And the value they can offer manufacturers and retailers is astronomical. If you can provide the convenience to attract consumers to your recipe platform, they’ll likely make a majority of their food purchases with you for years to come. If you’re not investing in shoppable recipes now, you’ll be struggling to catch up with your competitors for years to come. And remember, if you’re looking for shoppable marketing solutions that build trust and loyalty among consumers, look to Adimo.