A little more than a week ago we published the website of lapimientadorada.coma charming bulk shop located in the centre of Bilbao. The company had a great challenge: to launch itself in the online sales without losing the essence of local business. In this entry we look at the particular challenges we face when we think about how to sell in bulk online effectively.

Solution: think global, act local

While using the powerful WordPress technology that allows for national and international visibility, La Pimienta Dorada chose to post only in their region. In this way, they were consistent with their motto of sustainability and responsible consumption. To this end:

• We optimise the SEO of the site with specific keywords of a local nature.
• The platform was configured so that purchasing was only possible from within the province.
• We adapt the messages and delivery costs to this reality.

Quantity

In general, any business considering how to sell in bulk online (or by weight) will face certain challenges that must be taken into account before making the leap to the internet:

• If we opt for the first choice, a price calculator final according to the quantity entered would be the most appropriate. On the other hand, if we opt for the second, we will enter the prices already defined for each alternative.
• Although it may seem that the first option gives more freedom, at La Pimienta Dorada we decided to include some preset options The most popular websites that make the whole buying and selling process more convenient and manageable.

Council: Make a short reflection on what suits you best depending on the nature of your products, your customers and the technical implications of each solution.

Price

The more information provided to the user, the better. For this reason, if you are going to opt for pre-set weight options, it is best to let the user know what is the smallest amount that can be sent (with a "from").

Council: Before jumping into online sales, plan whether you want to display the price per kg, per 100g or according to product. Thinking about this at an early stage will make it easier for you to set up later.

The future of online food retailing

It is already well known that e-commerce in general is growing steadily. According to the CIS Barometer (May 2020), 23% of households increased their online shopping during the state of alarm. In addition, 1% said that they were shopping online for the first time. Eurostat also corroborated the growth, as in its April 2020 article, 60% of EU citizens had shopped online in the last year, compared to 56% in the previous year.

As for the FOOD INDUSTRY In particular, the Spanish Association of Distributors, Self-Services and Supermarkets (ASEDAS) confirmed the increase in the sector's online sales in its Observatory for the Evolution of E-Commerce in the Food IndustryHowever, it should not be forgotten that these studies are usually carried out by large brands and supermarket chains.

However, it is worth taking a look at the data presented in its survey (over 4,000 interviews) to see the impact of Covid on the online purchase of food products, which is increasing in the number of online shoppers. mixed users (online and offline) by 4.8% and their pure users (online only) by 1.4%. At the same time, there has been a notable reduction of 8.3% of people who only shop in the physical channel.

Conclusions

Against this backdrop, there are new opportunities and challenges, especially for small businesses, which have great potential for differentiation. In order to be able to compete with large retail chains, it is necessary to offer a differentiated product, with a unique value proposition well thought out. La Pimienta Dorada is a clear example of how the quality and uniqueness of the product provides a unique identity and loyalty capacity.

In addition, it is important not to forget the logistical and shipping challenges, a big issue on which small and medium-sized enterprises are trying to innovate, as they do not have as many resources as the large chain.

---