The Fresh Market launches digital-only magazine

The Fresh Market has published its first issue of The Magazine, a digital-only publication that aims to bolster the grocer’s retail media network strategy, the grocer announced this week.

The publication is supported by vendor advertising and offers interactive shopping enabling customers to click on digital buttons to place online orders. Other new features include weekly meal planning tips, affordable meal ideas and a section highlighting specialty recipes for paleo, keto, vegetarian diets and more, according to a press release from the Greensboro, North Carolina-based grocer. 

Shoppers perusing the publication will also gain access to videos that include recipes, how-to content, curator content and special finds, the grocer noted. 

“Our new digital-only shoppable magazine marks our largest and most immersive magazine experience ever, allowing our guests to make both every day and special occasions memorable through a wide variety of recipes, meal solutions and fresh deals,” The Fresh Market Chief Marketing Officer Kevin Miller said in the press release. “The Magazine will also continue to feature special savings on high-quality products at a great value from our vendor partners that our guests love.” 

The March issue features a lamb dish on the cover, inviting readers to see details for a “Lamb Meal for 2” within the publication. It also claims the title of America’s Easter Headquarters and features a variety of Easter basket ideas, cookie recipes and plans for Easter brunches and dinners. The 72-page publication also features ideas for St. Patrick’s Day parties, March Madness get-togethers and more.  

The publication comes at a time when many grocers are working to establish or expand their retail media networks. Tech companies such as DoorDash and Instacart are also offering new video options for consumer packaged goods, with the former partnering with Roku on interactive TV ads and the latter launching video and display ads for a variety of brands such as Dove, PepsiCo and S.Pellegrino.   

The Fresh Market, which operates 159 stores across 22 states, has also announced plans to ramp up its video content in recent weeks by expanding its partnership with video commerce tech company Firework. The Redwood City, California-based tech company announced in February that its first four livestream videos were seen by more than 2 million viewers.