Direct-to-consumer (D2C) ecommerce has gone from a burgeoning trend to a mainstream business model in less time than it takes to boil an egg, or so it seems.
Fashion and beauty brands were early adopters, gaining momentum when the pandemic closed ‘non-essential’ shop doors. Food and drink brands have been more of a slow-burner in the ecommerce space because of the dominance of big supermarkets – but that’s all changing…
Consumer appetites
Food and drink consumers are a fussy bunch these days. Organic, plant-based, carbon-neutral, rainforest alliance-certified, craft, artisan, botanical, local, seasonal and fairtrade are just a few of the words they expect to find when shopping for items to eat and drink.
Vegetarian and plant-based food sales saw a rise of 34% between 2019-2020, a market now worth £1.5bn. Fairtrade sales have increased by 14%, while the sale of organically-certified food grew 13%.
A jumbo moment of opportunity for food and drink ecommerce
Online food purchasing habits got baked-in during lockdown, meaning consumers no longer feel limited to what’s available in their local stores.
Other reasons they’re shopping around are the rising cost of living, or because they want to support smaller businesses, or they’re looking for those selling produce with a lower environmental impact.
All these factors are handing food and drink ecommerce traders a silver platter of ripe opportunity.
High quality order fulfilment is a key ingredient in food and drink ecommerce success
Fullers Fulfilment stores, picks and packs many food and drink items for big and small brands, including Mars Wrigley confectionary, Newby teas, Cajuu nuts, Bombay Sapphire gin, Gardabani fine wines and spirits, Ely cocktails, and the premium champagne brand Frerejean Frères.
With decades of experience in drink and food fulfilment under our belt, we know how vital it is that food and drink items are stored in the right conditions, carefully batched and rotated, handled hygienically and packaged protectively.
In a strictly regulated and competitive sector, food and drink brands have no margin for error. Poor quality, expired or damaged orders do not encourage shoppers to come back for a second helping.
By outsourcing the fulfilment of your food and drink products to Fullers, you can count on the highest standards being met so your reputation thrives and your business grows.
A buffet of fulfilment benefits for food and drink brands
Make Fullers your fulfilment partner and enjoy a whole menu of advantages:
- Ample storage in dedicated ambient warehouse space situated in Hampshire, Berkshire and The Midlands
- Every order picked and packed automatically by our diligent team of fulfilment experts
- Same day pick and pack so your customer will receive goods the next day
- Food and drink subscription box fulfilment
- Robust stock management – we batch and rotate stock, monitoring expiry dates to maintain freshness
- Links with the UK’s leading and most trusted couriers, getting you the best delivery rates to your destinations
- Our Warehouse Management System (WMS) integrates with all major ecommerce platforms supplying you with real-time stock management and business insights
- A wide range of bespoke packaging options, including practical solutions for fragile and liquid products, eco-friendly options, luxury packaging and personalisation
Fullers Fulfilment’s environmental management system is certified to ISO 14001 and we’re working towards Soil Association certification.
Does your food and drink ecommerce fulfilment cut the mustard? The strength of our service – and the cornerstone of our 5-star reputation – lies in the passion of our people and the reliability of our processes. Contact Fullers today to discuss how we can help you serve your customers better.
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