Food and Jewelry: A Match Made in Heaven

I always love to learn about unique partnerships in the retail space, and I recently heard about one that involves two of my faves — food and jewelry — so I thought I’d share it with you.

The partnership, which launched in June, is between online jewelry retailer BaubleBar and FoodKick by FreshDirect, an on-demand business that delivers fresh food, alcohol and essentials to consumers. As part of the deal with BaubleBar, FoodKick delivers summer essentials to customers designed for last-minute happy hours and spontaneous weekend getaways, including fresh food, cold alcohol and, yes, on-trend jewelry, in as little as an hour. This partnership marks the first time that FoodKick is carrying fashion accessories, marking its foray into an emerging new category.

Why did the companies decide to embark on this unique partnership? For FreshDirect, it just made a lot of sense.

“Both FoodKick and BaubleBar are e-commerce industry disruptors on the pulse of the latest trends, with a focus on convenience and high-quality, curated items,” said PJ Oleksak, senior vice president, business expansion at FreshDirect. “We're thrilled that together we can bring our customers even more essentials for any summer celebration — from moment-making eats and drinks to outfit-making jewelry.”

For BaubleBar, the hook was that FoodKick isn’t just focusing on delivering food; it's delivering an experience as well.

“We know the FoodKick customer loves trends based on what she’s buying on its app, and she wants to get those items quickly,” says Nina Alexander-Hurst, vice president of brand marketing for BaubleBar. “Why wouldn’t she want to pick up something for herself while getting the essentials? To us, it’s about meeting our customer — whether new or existing — where she is and helping her look great.”

The partnership is marketed through multiple channels, including social media, influencer outreach, email, push notifications and an employee event at BaubleBar's office in New York City.

Credit: Foodkick Instagram

“We've created content on our site to merchandise the products around last-minute hostess gifts, date nights and more,” says Oleksak. “Additionally, to celebrate the partnership kickoff, now while supplies last every FoodKick order will come with a $15 gift card to use on BaubleBar.com.”

Oleksak says the new program will enable FoodKick to be introduced to BaubleBar's millennial customers, who may be in need of a convenient, quick and reliable food delivery service.

“With a few taps, our customers can now fill their fridges while buying new accessories, and best yet, get delivery right to their doors in as little as an hour,” says Oleksak. “Especially during summer months when schedules are so unpredictable, we think that the flexibility and convenience that FoodKick provides users is invaluable."

This isn't the first — nor will it be the last — unique partnership for FreshDirect. According to Oleksak, the company is "always searching for partners that share FoodKick’s values of curation, convenience and high-quality products, in addition to placed importance on a personalized customer experience.”

Have you heard of any unique retail partnerships? Would you like to share them with Total Retail? If so, please drop me a line at mcampaneli@napco.com. We’d love to include them in an upcoming article on the subject.