Dive Brief:

• Firework unveiled on Wednesday an in-video checkout feature that allows viewers to make a purchase while watching short videos or livestreams.
• The video commerce technology company said the feature condenses the shopper journey by creating single-click purchasing on shoppable or livestream videos powered by Firework. Right now, shoppers can use the tool to purchase multiple items during livestreams. Later this year, Firework plans to roll out out multi-product checkout via add-to-cart functionality in short videos, Eva Wang, head of commerce and partnerships at Firework, said in an email interview. 
• The new feature, which is debuting ahead of the winter holiday season, further connects shoppable content to brands' and retailers' own digital properties and ads, while giving customers a new way to checkout. 

Dive Insight:

In-video checkout “has a particularly strong use case” for grocers year-round, especially as the holidays near, Wang said, giving Thanksgiving meal packages as one example of how grocers could turn to the in-video checkout feature.

“This solution is especially relevant for meal kits or recipes, where a buyer could engage with a livestream or pre-recorded video demonstrating how to cook a particular dish and purchase everything needed with a simple click,” Wang said. 

She continued: “The value here is multi-faceted—viewers not only have an easy pathway to purchase, they’re also interacting with high-value content that teaches new recipes and extends the value of the grocery chain beyond a simple provider of goods.”

Brands and retailers can implement Firework’s in-video checkout across livestream and short-form Firework videos on both their own digital properties and in off-site, programmatic ads, according to the announcement. Once viewers enter their billing information with their first purchase using the feature, they can place future orders using their stored information, allowing for single-click checkout inside the video module. Customers can use coupons and promo codes and select from multiple payment options when ordering through the tool, Firework noted. 

Firework said in the announcement that brands are seeking new revenue streams and strategies to fight against falling conversion rates. Average conversion rates across all e-commerce businesses, as of August, were 1.62% — down 0.3 points from July and 0.06 points from the same time last year, citing Oberlo data. Firework also said, citing research from Baymard Institute, that an improved checkout experience could boost conversion rates by 35% for the average e-commerce site. 

Before launching the feature, Firework beta-tested it with several customers. That testing showed increases in the amount of time people spent on brands' and retailers' sites and higher average order volumes and conversion rates.

Spread The Love Foods, an all-natural foods brand, was among the first of Firework’s partners to use the feature. The brand saw, from their site, the amount of visitors and time spent on the site increase since adding the capability, Zach Fishbain, Spread The Love Foods co-founder and CEO, said in an interview. The feature has allowed the brand to sell product bundles and individual items while using the videos to engage potential customers with “fun” and “personable” content, Fishbain said. 

Firework’s new video feature comes at a time when social commerce and live commerce are starting to gain more traction in the U.S., following the footsteps of consumers in Asia. Firework claims that its in-video checkout is the first of its kind in the U.S. market. 

The announcement also comes at a time when major retailers, such as Walmart and Albertsons, are investing more in shoppable content.

As Firework delves further into video commerce, it counts several high-profile retailers among its client list, including Albertsons, BuzzFeed and Condé Nast. Firework also works with The Fresh Market and Heinz.