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~ Go Global Ecommerce ~

clientele. For instance, in the past, products on offer were 3% and the contribution to the GDP that same year was
limited as they 1.99%. Online sales
“MOBILE PHONE APPLICATIONS
responded to the of food items are
overall demand in line with these
in an immediate general trends:
PLAYED A HUGE ROLE IN
area. Now, however, almost a quarter of
food vendors have purchases from the
SUPPORTING THE FOOD INDUSTRY’S
the opportunity to sector are made via
sell much further e-commerce.
afield and, in
SUCCESS CROSS-BORDER”
the process, gain Mobile phone
more customers. applications played
Products that have a huge role in
experienced an increase in popularity are those that are supporting the food industry’s success cross-border, with up
generally considered more niche, such as oat milk and meat to 72% of food and beverage e-commerce taking place via
alternatives (up 347.3% and 206.4% in the US, respectively the use of apps – more than for any other kind of product.
– Statista). As a result, vegan and artisan products being However, the industry does have its shortcomings. It is
sold online are set to enjoy an increase in demand. argued that the sector could enjoy even greater success
if it were to implement some simple elements to these
Europe online: food and wine exports apps. For instance, the majority of apps lack the option to
Of course, certain products benefit from being more sought leave a review on both the company and the product itself
after in other countries, making cross-border e-commerce (in 2020, only 35% had facilitated company reviews and
even more important. There is currently a high demand only 14% had made individual product reviews possible).
for Italian food and wine excellence worldwide, especially What’s more, options for delivery are also viewed as being
from the Asian market, whose expenditure online is severely lacking. As mentioned before, gaining the trust
expected to grow exponentially where Italian food products of a potential customer in the food industry is paramount.
are concerned. The US and the UK are also expected to Given that online sales in the food industry grew by 30% in
contribute to more than a 10% growth in online purchases 2020—double that of the clothing industry—these issues
– the UK being the main importer of Italian food and wine need to be addressed, and no doubt will be, in order to make
goods. What’s more, wine is one of the most sold products the most of what is an incredible growth opportunity.
on the continent and in the UK, as well as being one of
Italy’s most popular exports. Nevertheless, it is important Digitalisation and logistics
to be aware of the changes that Brexit has brought about One way in which it is being addressed, as companies
with regard to cross-border e-commerce. For instance, adjust to the shift online, is that business models are
Designations of Origin (PDOs) will need to be registered being reformed accordingly – strengthening logistics and
in both the UK and the EU but will remain protected so the digital relationship with customers being two of the
long as new regulations are complied with. Similarly, Food main focuses. Again, there is much yet to be seen. The
Business Operator (FBO) addresses will have to be applied eCommerce B2C Netcomm Observatory predicts a growth
for in both locations, with transition periods in both the of 38% in the use of digital channels for food purchases,
former and the latter. equalling a turnover of €4 billion. In 2021, 26% of total
grocery sales took place online, a sector that has grown by
As mentioned previously, the outbreak of the pandemic had 39%. Since 2021, food delivery has experienced a surge of
a significant effect on consumer activity online and cross- 56%, largely thanks to the necessary closure of premises and
border. This is particularly true for Europe, where online the need to adapt. This means that food and wine exports
buyers went from making up 60% of total consumers in now amount to 15% of total cross-border e-commerce
2017 to 71% in 2020. Similarly, the ratio of e-GDP to total sales, which equals close to an €890 billion market. A 30%
GDP went from 3.11% in 2017 to 4.29% in 2020, indicating increase in online traffic is largely responsible for such a
that the numbers are likely to have increased again (of the change, but with this also comes a change in consumer
27 member states and 10 neighbouring countries researched behaviour due to the fact that there is a lot more on offer
– European E-Commerce Report 2021). Nonetheless, there and at their disposal. They can choose to buy anywhere.
are differences across the continent, with Western Europe In fact, an impressive 62% have displayed new purchasing
being responsible for 64% of online sales and Southern behaviour. The eCommerce B2C Netcomm Observatory
Europe for 16%. Growth-wise, Eastern Europe is the published statistics showing 30% visiting a new website,
frontrunner, at a rate of 36%, followed by Southern Europe, 27% choosing a new brand, and 18% using a new payment
at a rate of 24%. Focusing on Italy, 54% of its population method. While there are clearly some risks involved,
made purchases online in 2020, transactions increased by the main point to take away is the new and bountiful

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