Rabobank believes the arrival of a new era in online shopping will increasingly impact fresh fruit, vegetables and floriculture supply chains.
Just as tomorrows shopper will buy other groceries online, he or she will also buy fresh produce online. Suppliers that want to take advantage of this development have to adapt to the specific requirements of the e-shelf, according to the companys new report, Wanted: E-daptable Fresh Produce Suppliers.
While total retail sales are stagnant, online grocery sales in western Europe are expected to double in the coming five years. Looking further ahead, Rabobank expects that in 2025, the share of online grocery shopping in total grocery shopping will be as high as 25%. It believes the magnitude of this change will be similar to that of the rise of private label in the 1970s and the rapid rise of hard discounters since the turn of the century.
"For a long time, consumers were accustomed to choosing their own fruit and vegetables in the store," says Cindy van Rijswick, Rabobank analyst. "Now, consumers are increasingly used to having their vegetables delivered to their doorstep, either via regular supermarkets and meal kit deliveries or via specialised online fresh produce suppliers."
Fresh produce suppliers that respond proactively to this development could cash in, says Rabobank. The various online channels for fresh produce offer several opportunities: increased shelf space, the option of adding information about the product, active screen management, cross-sell opportunities and fresher products via a shorter supply chain. At the same time, suppliers may face challenges from increased competition and complexity, as well as changes to impulse buying, it adds.