Is Buying Seafood Online the Future?
More and more people are becoming open to buying seafood online.
Of course, this follows the general trend in society, with e-commerce becoming a vital part of our daily lives.
With restrictions stopping people from physically entering stores, the coronavirus accelerated this growth.
Unsurprisingly, over the past 18 months, many of us have turned to our smartphones to make a purchase. In fact, statistics now show that over a quarter of all grocery sales are happening online.
With that in mind, we are looking at whether or not buying seafood online is here to stay.
To answer that question, we have to look at the challenges and whether or not they are being solved.
Selling Seafood Online — The Challenges
Online to Offline
We doubt that the seafood industry will ever move entirely online. There will always be people that prefer the physical experience.
That is despite technological innovation around shop streaming (where you can digitally experience the store). Quite simply, some people will always choose the brick-and-mortar experience.
What is far more likely is that seafood producers will work more on a frictionless online to offline (or O2O for short) experience.
As was said in research by Deloitte, in the future, businesses will “automate what (they) can, and use (their) expertise and service eagerness in the customer meeting”.
Of course, melding the online world with the offline will be a challenge, but it also represents an opportunity. For example, more fresh and frozen seafood products can be offered to the public when they are not taking up retail space and are pre-ordered to a store online.
Nielsen make this point in a report, when they state that “e-commerce is well suited for stock-up and specialty-needs retailing, because it can offer deeper product selections than may be available in brick-and-mortar stores”.
Technology
All business online is dependent on technology, and the seafood industry is no different.
For instance, the rise of payment apps, such as Revolut and Google and Apple Pay have made it easier for the consumer to buy at the push of a button.
Another practical consideration for the seafood industry is how home delivery is conducted.
This is a challenge for both fresh and frozen seafood, however, there have been positive developments. For instance, a Spanish ‘last-mile-delivery’ platform, Paack, has secured tens of millions kroner in development aid for this.
A recent study by Fact.MR also gave reason for optimism.
It stated that “technological advancements in the cold chain market, especially in developed countries such as the U.S. and Canada, will improve the demand for frozen seafood”.
Post-Covid Expectation
The covid-19 pandemic accelerated the amount of people who are buying their seafood online.
With that, a huge number of people expect to do more of their shopping online in a post-covid world.
This was demonstrated by figures from the Global Web Index. The numbers show Generation Z (those born after 1996) has a particular affinity to online shopping. Plus, technological advancements are pushing eCommerce into every home. Hence, a step back to a world where online buying isn’t at the forefront seeming increasingly unlikely.
Selling Seafood Online — Opportunities
Wider Range
With ecommerce, the customer gets to try different things that they may not see in their local fish market or grocery store. There is no space limitation online, which offers businesses the opportunity to offer products that may not be in the fridges, or freezers of the local store.
A Digital Generation
The rise of eCommerce can be directly linked to the maturation of a generation who grew up with internet technology at their fingertips. Convenience has always been important in sales, but the levels of ease that can now be experienced by buying your seafood online is second to none.
Hectic Lifestyles
As our lives get busier, we are looking for easier ways to get our groceries. Thankfully, with the increase of eCommerce and the technologies used to deliver seafood, you can now get convenient ready-to-eat meals delivered to your door.
New Point of Contact
Traditionally, consumers were less likely to buy seafood online than they were their other groceries. This is changing and it offers seafood producers another point of contact with the consumer, to show off the brilliant stock that is on offer.
Education
With more people buying their seafood online, there is the opportunity to increase knowledge around the products.
Video and text content gives the consumer an opportunity to learn more about the product they are buying. In this instance, there can be general info, recipes, and information around subjects like sustainability.
This leads to a more informed customer and a new level of transparency.
Conclusion
E-commerce is here to stay and with it, there are both challenges and opportunities. For instance, seafood businesses will have to adapt to a more streamlined O2O plan, while the technology around ‘last mile’ deliveries will have to continue its improvement.
That being said, it also offers the opportunity for consumers to enjoy a broader range of stock, while enjoying an increased level of convenience and transparency.
All-in-all, we expect more and more people to be buying seafood online. And that is a good thing for everyone involved!
