Russia's X5 Retail Group has launched food.ru – a new media platform focusing on food and related content.
The website will feature content on recipes, cooking classes, healthy eating, and finding the right products, among others.
The platform will serve as a useful and convenient resource for people who share culinary interests, the retailer added.
The retailer hopes to expand customer reach, generate traffic, and increase sales conversion in X5's core businesses through the platform.
Media Platform
In addition to the food.ru website, the retailer has also launched a mobile app of the same name, as well as social media accounts.
These accounts will be based on existing social network groups, blogging websites, and messenger channels that operate under the Bon Appetit brand, X5 said.
X5 has acquired the messenger channels under the Bon Appetite brand and plans to rename it to food.ru.
The move will help the company connect with consumers at the food purchase planning and product selection stages.
'Customer Journey'
Igor Shekhterman, CEO of X5 Group, commented, "X5 aims to be present at all stages of the customer journey, which starts long before the customer enters one of our stores and stretches into the online environment.
"Consumer preferences are increasingly shaped by the media, particularly social networks, food-related sites, blogs, and podcasts. Our own food-related media platform is an important communication channel that connects X5 with our customers at the purchase planning stage."
The head of X5 Media, Nikolay Shestakov, will be responsible for developing food.ru. The platform will combine the website with recipes and social networking elements.
Registered users will earn internal ratings, gain varied levels of access to educational content, and the chance to earn achievement badges.
They will also be able to run their food blogs, which will allow them to earn revenue.
Recently, the company announced the creation of a separate entity for its digital businesses, paving the way for the new entity to go public.