Covid-19, Shock wave
A windfall for online
ourdebon, La Ruche qui dit Oui, Tentation Fromage… for internet shopping platforms the coronavirus has been a windfall. “E-commerce is saturated,” observes Mélanie Richard. “During weeks 11 and 12, according to market research firm IRI, revenues have gone from 58% to 74% for all products combined.”
As of the March 12 declaration of confinement in France, the online market places have been overrun. “Activity on our site has been increased by a multiple of 14 over normal,” reveals Nicolas Machard, CEO of the site Pourdebon. It’s principally the basic necessities that consumers have jumped on : meat, fruits and vegetables, fish… The trend isn’t as strong for our 29 cheesemongers, but we have seen 150,000 euros of purchases in this segment in fifteen days,” he chronicled at the end of March. “Milk has become our best-seller, whereas it’s usually the AOP cheeses that are the leaders.”
“Online market places work well and have been bringing us a very significant boost,” confirms Pascale Beillevaire, whose brand is present on Quitoque, La Rucheqirit, Pourdebon….In Grenoble, Bernard Mure-Ravaud has recorded an 18% increase in digital sales. Jean-François Dubois (La Finarde), active on Pourdebon and La Ruche qui dit Oui, saw orders increase from 2 a day to 30 - 40.
Activity on our site has been increased by a multiple of 14 over normal.
Those who already had an active presence on social media are using it as leverage to shift clients to online buying.
Stéphane Miollan, affineur selling at daily markets under the banner Fromage Gourmet was only able to keep working at two out of his normally five markets (Roanne and Courlaville). Already active on the internet with an e-boutique that he launched five years ago, he is also listed on Pourdebon and Tentation Fromage. “Our internet sales have exploded,” he recounts. “Normally, it’s just a bit extra, some sixty orders a week. We’ve already gone to several hundred deliveries a week, which is allowing me to keep my business going and my three employees on board.” ◼
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Covid-19, Shock wave