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~ Go Global Ecommerce ~

CROSS-BORDER

E-COMMERCE

OPPORTUNITIES

FOR THE FOOD

INDUSTRY

Text: Chiara Mongetti, Journalist and E-commerce Specialist at Go Global Ecommerce // Photos: Shutterstock, Go Global Ecommerce
Positive trends in cross-border e-commerce food sales and innovation of logistics, digitalisation and customisation driving its
success.

E-commerce activity has been steadily on the rise for the last two years, reaching an all-time
high in 2022. Following the huge shift online, cross-border e-commerce is also more popular
than ever, and the food industry is no exception, despite the potential complexities surrounding
it. For example, transport, expiry dates and returns are all more complex when it comes to the
food sector, yet it is increasingly enjoying success in the online and international markets. In
spite of the challenges posed, with the right strategy, support and innovation, starting a cross-
border e-commerce food business has never looked better.

elling food and drink online: positive growth manufacturer than on the distance between the product and
prospects consumer.
SNaturally, consumers are wary of purchasing food
and drink online. As a society, we are accustomed to having The future of selling food online cross-border is bright.
physical contact with the items we eventually choose to Excitingly, today the online food market is a hundred-
buy, and concerns about delivery times, perishability, and billion-dollar industry, and it continues to grow. Having
even data theft only add to our hesitancy when buying a risen from a global turnover of $13 billion in 2017 to an
product from a company we are not familiar with. Returning increase of around $10 billion each year, the online food
food items is an additional concern – it is rather less sector will be worth a predicted $117 billion this coming
straightforward than returning an item of clothing, for year (Business Insider Intelligence), meaning it has very
instance. For this reason, it is imperative to gain a potential positive growth prospects indeed. The COVID-19 pandemic
customer’s trust, especially when selling food produced is credited with having drastically changed online shopping
cross-border. Fortunately, since the COVID-19 pandemic, habits, and since 2020, growth has been closer to $20 billion
consumers are much more open to buying food online each year. In addition to influencing consumer behaviour, it
cross-border. Though it is also true that expectations are changed the behaviour of the producer, given that companies
higher. There is now far more focus on the product and its can now more easily cater to the specific demands of their

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