The fast rising future of online bakeries
18/10/2016
Maybe bread is not the first thing that comes to mind when you think about online retail. However, bakery and fresh bread products are quickly becoming a new opportunity for online grocery stores. The sudden rise of online bakery sales is becoming increasingly more interesting to retailers, producers and consumers.
Reports show that searchability and having the right product assortment are key to online success. Producers will need to make their products more visible online and have more dynamic marketing strategies. Since the internet makes it possible to reach large masses, grocery store retailers will have to investment more in supply chains that are more efficient in order to be able to meet the demands of consumers for fresher and better quality products.
Same online shopping, different bakery needs
The rise of shopping for bread online has highlighted some cultural differences, for example, the differences between the UK and France. They both do about the same amount of online grocery shopping, but British consumers tend to buy more industrial, prepackaged bread with a long shelf life, whereas the French tend to buy most of their baked goods from artisanal bakeries. British online grocery stores tend to offer a larger variety of baked goods compared to their French counterparts – the Brits will offer an assortment of about 850 different items compared to the 150 that the French offer.
If differences in shopping habits remain between the two countries, the overall trend is clear: online shopping is growing rapidly. There are already strong online sales trends for long shelf life baked breakfast goods such as bagels and pastries. Fresh products had a slower start, but are now beginning to catch up.
Reports on this type of market is showing the same trends everywhere: bakery producers must act now in response to the growing numbers. Companies with a “wait and see” approach may fall far behind competitors that have already embraced the digital world.
Source: Browsing for bread – the fast rising future of online bakery sales
