A recent report by Clavis Insight, a leading ecommerce
insights company, suggests that online confectionery sales in the UK are
currently growing at 30% year on year; far more than offline sales.
The report states that the UK online grocery market is worth
£8bn, growing at 20% year on year, whilst UK online confectionery is worth
£100m. Online purchases for the take home market are key to the growth in UK
confectionery sales online.
This makes interesting reading for any confectionery
retailer in the UK, whether large or small. The factors around an online and an
offline purchase are very different and therefore those that find success
offline will not automatically replicate it online. Consider firstly, the
offline confectionery purchase. A big colourful display of different products,
often at the point of purchase. The shopper might not consider buying any
confectionery until they are faced with the display. They can look at and touch
the products in order to make their decision and consume their confectionery immediately
upon purchase.
In contrast, an online confectionery purchase cannot be
particularly impulsive; it’s a more considered thing, looking at each product
in turn, making a careful choice based on need and budget, knowing that
delivery is required. Clavis Insight suggests that more premium brands and
larger products (as oppose to single serves) perform best online.
Three things are extremely important to help consumers successfully
buy more confectionery online. Firstly, they have to find it! We’re not writing
an SEO article here and so we’ll just mention the importance of such activity
and the challenge of ranking highly on Google. Online directories such as our
very own UK confectionery suppliers directory can pay dividends too. Secondly,
images are key. They cannot see the confectionery and hold it in their hands so
they need great images, quite possibly of the front and the back of the pack.
Thirdly, product information is essential. Optimising the product name is
important (also for search) but consider also the product description (does it
showcase the product at its best?) and product information such as dimensions, ingredients
and nutritional information.
Selling confectionery online is without doubt, a fantastic opportunity
for smaller confectionery brands wishing to reach a larger audience. Present
yourself with the above considerations in mind and there is little reason why
you could not grasp some of that 30% growth for your own business.
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