The Local Food Revolution Goes Online: How Small Farms and Restaurants Adapt
To survive uncertain times, small farms are pivoting to serve their local communities and compete with big box grocers online. In a very short time, COVID-19 has virtually upended the food system. For farmers who sell directly into local markets, it has made the in-person sales they depend on—usually facilitated at farmers’ markets, restaurants, schools, and other communal places—especially unsteady.
Transitioning to Online Sales Channels
As peak harvest season approaches, growers have been scrambling to move their sales online, where orders can be fulfilled without face-to-face interaction. Amy McCann, the CEO of the Eugene, Oregon-based Local Food Marketplace, says the software platform that farmers and other local food aggregators across the country use to reach customers online has seen an onslaught of demand. Due to this shift, her team has added 20 new users in just the last week.
Groups that support local food economies have also been working to direct consumers to these new systems so that they can continue to buy local food from home. In Seattle, where farmers’ markets have been shut down, Seattle Neighborhood Farmers’ Markets compiled a list of its market vendors’ “alternative sales options.” In Chicago, Green City Market created a guide to farmers offering online ordering with pick-up or delivery, and in the Mid-Atlantic, a map of more than 500 farmers received over 15,000 views in just a few days.
Digital Solutions for Restaurants
Establishments can get up to 30% more benefit for each sale made with their own online food channel for delivery and takeaway. By using such systems, you can take back the control of your restaurant and bet on a totally different solution from traditional delivery platforms. Our online store is focused on conversion and user loyalty, transforming visitors into recurring customers.
Modernizing Service with Technology
- QR code: digital menu: Since the pandemic, the QR code was implemented as an alternative to the printed menu.
- Versatility: Digital menus have greater versatility and are instantly updatable unlike traditional printed format menus.
- Efficiency: With the order and payment at the table, you can reduce the waiting time of your customers by 20% and avoid errors taking orders.
- Mobile Applications: Apps are a good method to generate brand engagement for your restaurant and build customer loyalty.
Key Statistics on the Digital Shift
| Metric | Data from Material |
|---|---|
| Online Grocery Adoption | More than 30 percent of US households purchased groceries online in the past month. |
| Future Trends | 43 percent said they’d likely continue to purchase groceries online after the crisis ends. |
| Platform Growth | Online grocery sales in the U.S. were projected to double between 2017 and 2021. |
| Service Efficiency | Order and payment at the table reduces customer waiting time by 20%. |
Challenges and the Road Ahead
While markets for small, sustainable, and local producers have been taking shape online for over a decade, many have struggled to compete in the past. Farmers will also have to tackle many obstacles as they attempt to redesign entire business models right before harvest season, improvise home deliveries, and figure out how to ensure shoppers using food assistance benefits can access online ordering.
However, worker strikes at massive companies may also inspire some socially conscious shoppers to support independent producers. Digitizing a restaurant with service at table is no longer futuristic stuff; now is the time to increase productivity and simplify your staff's work.
