Albertsons Cos. is continuing to add new elements to the digital marketplace (moreforu.com) it launched last October, including pet merchandise, curated specialty boxes and an upcoming subscription service. The supermarket operator is also looking to translate learnings from the online platform into the aisles of its physical stores.Powered by Mirakl, Albertsons’ digital marketplace essentially enables customers to discover more specialty items. The grocer is taking the growing demand for health-conscious products and ingredients seriously by focusing its marketplace on natural, organic, ethnic and alternative products while elevating GMO-free, non-dairy, gluten free, vegan and other product “collections” for easy shopping.Initially launching with 40,000 SKUs Albertsons dubbed “eclectic and exciting” spanning beauty, health, grocery and household categories, the marketplace reportedly grew to 100,000 items by the close of 2018, including the addition of the pet category. Albertsons soon plans to add wine as well as start an own-brand direct shipping and subscription service. The grocer’s goal is to ultimately deliver an “infinite aisle” of high-quality products.Guidelines addressing diets like keto and paleo are already playing a prominent role on the marketplace. Albertsons offers a number of curated specialty boxes (dubbed “Marketplace Box”) online only, bundling healthy foods like keto snacks, paleo SKUs, or a Valentine’s Day-themed “chocolate lovers” box, to name a few – likely early nods to the subscription service Albertsons has alluded is in the works. Email marketing has additionally been playing a growing role in promoting the boxes.Unlocking In-Store OpportunityMost items sold on the marketplace are currently not available in stores, though a spokeswoman for Albertsons said that is subject to change. “Eventually, sales data will be used by merchandisers to stock items in store based on regional preferences,” she indicated in an October 2018 press release from Mirakl.The digital platform serves as a sort of testing ground for specialty, indie brands to see how receptive shoppers are to their products and concepts, providing valuable proprietary data on consumer and food trends to help educate Albertsons’ in store merchandising decisions.At least one store – Albertsons’ flagship location in Boise, ID – is already bringing emerging keto-friendly and other health-focused, indie brands to its shelves. Brand such as keto-friendly ice cream company Killer Creamery took to social media to announce their products arrival in the store around the time the marketplace went live.Over the last several months, P2PI also has noted more merchandising space for emerging brands across the company's banners. At Jewel-Osco, for example, brands such as Good Citizens, Kodiak Cakes and Primal Elements (all available on the marketplace, too) have been spotted on floorstands.Vendor Processes“The sellers are clearly excited and we’re excited because we’ve created an enabling platform," Karl Varsanyi, group vice president of digital product management, Albertsons said during a keynote presentation at Groceryshop in Las Vegas less than a month after the site went live, noting ways for small brands to put their items in stores, creating a loop between physical and digital. The marketplace also lets vendors deliver outside their operating area, widening its scope distribution scope.Vendors ship directly to the customer, while Albertsons handles some front-end e-commerce functions including search, product descriptions and payments so information isn’t shared with sellers. Each vendor generally ships items within two-five days and many offer free shipping. Vendors have their own shipping policy, with guidelines outlined on each seller page.Vendors pay a flat monthly fee after the first month, though the amount is unspecified and likely to evolve over time, and commissions on sales were waived for a limited-time introductory offer at launch.“We’re creating a home for sellers to emotionally connect with shoppers,” Varsanyi added, referencing “Seller Stories,” a huge element of the marketplace that provides an in-depth understanding of a brand’s origin story. Albertsons is counting on shoppers (particularly younger shoppers) to not only care about where the product they’re purchasing comes from, but care enough to read a lengthy story about its sourcing.Consumer ExperienceMoreforu.com doesn’t quite reflect the general appearance of Albertsons Cos.’ chain websites. Its contemporary look and feel does, however, look more like the company’s new “Recipes” microsite (recipesandmeals.com). Like recipesandmeals.com, moreforu.com automatically directs users to their respective chain site. For example, users located in Chicago/Illinois area see the Jewel-Osco Marketplace, while users in Acme territory would shop the Acme Marketplace. The online assortment doesn’t change based on location, though what the company chooses to bring in stores based on data gathered from the site is likely region-specific.Members of the Just for U loyalty program (or MyMixx for Jewel-Osco shoppers) can enjoy free shipping and earn two rewards for every order made on the marketplace, which is equivalent to rewards earned when purchasing $200 worth of product from any other participating store. Other than these two Just for U offers, coupons are not currently available on the marketplace, though loyalty members’ login also works on moreforu.com.BackgroundThe marketplace is just one of the ways the grocer has sought to bolster its online presence. Albertsons partnered with venture capital firm Greycroft back in August to create a $50 million fund that will invest in emerging companies and technologies in the grocery sector, according to another Mirakl press release, which pointed out Greycroft primarily looks for investments in web- and mobile-based firms including e-retailers. Its current portfolio includes stakes in Thrive Market and Boxed Wholesale, to name a few.In January 2018, the company launched Albertsons Performance Media powered by Quotient. The advertising platform lets the retailer work with consumer brands on their digital advertising and in-store targeting efforts.As the marketplace continues to grow, so do Albertsons' e-commerce plans for 2019, which president and chief executive officer Jim Donald recently laid out during the company’s third quarter latest earnings call, calling deepening technology partnerships and continuing to innovate.Not everyone is convinced the notion of the "endless aisle" is viable, including longtime industry member and P2PI advisor Steve Frenda. “If you offer an unmanaged assortment of products, customers will get frustrated and abandon the sites,” Frenda says, claiming customers not only want access to more health-focused foods, but a lot more guidance around dietary management and allergens, too.