The past 25 years have seen the rise of e-commerce platforms as a preferred marketplace for consumers and sellers across a variety of products including agri-food, which is an emerging sector for e-commerce sales. The initial Covid-19 lockdowns and subsequent restrictions on human movement within communities has propelled many consumers to make food and beverage purchases online, and reshaped previously held preferences for in-store grocery shopping. This trend is predicted to have a lasting impact on food and beverage producers, and e-commerce channels are expected to grow in both quantity and value for food product sales.
With this knowledge in mind, AAFC has established an e-commerce resource hub where companies can access resources to take advantage of global opportunities to sell food and beverage products online. Among the market-specific trend reports, you will find two broad ranging reports aimed at familiarizing Canadian agri-food SMEs with e-commerce and digital business writ large:
- E-Commerce and Digital Business: A guide for Candian food and beverage companies– This guide aims to inform agri-food SMEs on key concepts including digital business strategies, online communities and marketplaces, and order fulfillment and shipping.
- E-Commerce International Pathfinder for Canadian food and beverage companies– This report aims to help Canadian businesses better understand the international e-commerce landscape in key markets, including opportunities, constraints, and strategies to adopt an e-commerce/digital approach to business.