A new online retailing study from Bord Bia shows that in the three years since 2017 online shopping has grown by 75%. In the next three years to 2023, this is forecast to grow by a further 55%.

A third of Irish consumers who bought their groceries online in 2020 were ‘first-timers’, while a similar proportion of EU online grocery shoppers only started in the past six months.

The Bord Bia research also found that although 94% of the EU population eat meat and or seafood, only half buy those products online. Less than half of online grocery shoppers currently not buying meat online are open to buying beef online, and over half of online shoppers not buying seafood online are open to it, which suggests untapped potential for both sectors.

The state agency provides a suite of digital services under its Think Digital programme to support Ireland’s food, drink and horticulture sectors. The services are designed with a focus on unlocking the e-commerce potential within the sector to deliver much needed growth.

Adam Baker, Client Capability Manager at Bord Bia, commented: “The growth in online shopping offers our sector an alternative route to market. Bord Bia want to ensure that Ireland’s food industry has the skills and knowledge it needs to successfully compete in a digital world.”

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“We will be focusing on how to support and prepare companies to successfully sell on some of the world’s leading online marketplaces. We are working with these companies to develop  ‘How To’ guidelines for the Irish food industry, enabling them to compete at a global scale.”

These services will be provided through virtual workshops, webinars and self-service digital marketing guidebooks. According to Bord Bia, companies can also apply for bespoke, one-to-one digital mentoring, digital project management and branding supports.

As an example, Bord Bia cited Atlantis of Kilmore Quay, a family run seafood company in Wexford. The business model was focused on supplying seafood to hotels, restaurants and shops, and the pandemic has impacted Atlantis’ traditional sales channels.

Atlantis director John Kenny stated: “Covid-19, reduced our turnover by 60%, so we identified a  niche business opportunity in deliveries of fresh fish to customers in Wexford. Based on the success of this initiative, we see the opportunity to sell on a national scale.

“Bord Bia provided us with invaluable insight and guidance, which has helped us to create our new brand identity and a new e-commerce website which is going live this week.”

Companies in the food, drink and horticulture can register for Think Digital services on www.bordbia.ie.