What the numbers say: E-commerce comprised only 2.9% of Nestle's overall sales in 2012. By 2022, this figure had grown to 15.8%. Nestle's online sales expanded rapidly between 2019 and 2021. The food company's e-commerce sales grew from 8.5% to 14.3% of its total sales over this period. Relevance: Groceries are widely recognized as a leading e-commerce sector, with 7.2% of worldwide sales in this category occurring online in 2021. However, many food products are not commonly sold via e-commerce due to the challenges involved. Perishable foods, in particular, have proved difficult to integrate into e-commerce logistics networks. Nestle is the world's largest food manufacturer by revenue, and e-commerce comprised over 15% of its total sales in 2022. The rapid growth of the company's e-commerce operations since the COVID-19 pandemic signals that the food industry is compatible with e-commerce and may hold high growth potential for online businesses. Brands that should care: Companies in the food industry may benefit from innovating new ways to sell their products online. Particularly lucrative opportunities may be found in sectors not generally associated with e-commerce, such as perishables. |
