E-Commerce and Online Trade Shows Bring Transformative Growth for the Food and Beverage Industry

“2020 really hit us hard when we had to shut down our coffee shops. We lost about 60% of our revenue” Hannah Ulbrich, the owner of Copper Door in Denver said, “We’ve slowly been able to rebuild that, but eCommerce went well above what we were expecting, and that’s actually where Alibaba.com came in”.

Hannah Ulbrich is among the many brick-and-mortar business owners who took a heavy hit when the pandemic happened, wiping out almost all foot traffic and shutting down wholesale channels as well. Fortunately, their grit and flexibility to turn to digital in order to stay afloat has paid off. Hannah started using Alibaba.com in 2020 when the supply chain became disrupted. Online sourcing became a seamless way to fulfill her needs. See more of Hannah’s story here.

How the B2B E-Commerce Boom Has Changed the Game

The pandemic dramatically accelerated the rapid expansion of digital technology, and transformed how industries across the board operate. From billing and payment systems, to information management and storage, from managing customer relationships, to helping employees stay connected and motivated, business owners and operators who are successfully adopting these new tools and technologies have seen the opportunity to gain more efficiencies, and achieve new levels of growth and profitability.

While all sectors of the worldwide economy were disrupted by the pandemic in one way or another, the Food and Beverage industry was among the most severely impacted. As the pandemic has hindered traditional sales channels, food and beverage companies have turned to e-commerce and online tradeshows that are offering access to more markets and global suppliers, greater operational flexibility, and the resilience to survive and thrive during challenging times.

In fact, “71% of 2,500 SMBs credit getting online as the reason they survived the pandemic…even as simple as restaurants adopting QR code menus to up efficiency while easing labor burdens.” (Source: Alibaba.com B2B Pulse/January 2022)

In addition, e-commerce and online trade shows also prove to be more efficient with less time commitments and zero travel expense. It becomes a natural choice for many industry experts.

Dale Harris, the World Barista Champion, has found the experience of looking for new supplies on Alibaba.com quite “refreshing”. “If I was looking for an amazing coffee to share,” Harris said, “I would first start with those Arabica Coffees on Alibaba.com, and add Single Origin Roasted and Ethiopia to refine my choice because I prefer tasting where a coffee came from.”

Alibaba.com is providing business owners and procurement managers with more possibilities of suppliers when international travelling is still under some restrictions. It has been hosting a series of online trade shows that have resulted in tens of thousands of new connections. For example, in December 2021, Alibaba.com hosted an online trade show, the Global Food and Beverage Selection, that featured 1,600 exhibitors from all over the world, showcasing over 282,000 food and beverage products. Many exhibitors felt that the procurement orders they have received, including those from countries halfway across the world, would have been next to impossible to achieve at an offline event.

Alibaba.com March Expo 2022 – The online event to take businesses to the next level

Alibaba.com’s largest online event in the first half of this year, March Expo 2022, is a month-long online trade event that connects millions of buyers and suppliers around the world in 200+ countries and regions. It is set-up to drive even more food and beverage sector connections by giving buyers access to an unmatched array of suppliers to choose from, offering competitive prices at different MOQs and quality levels, through suppliers from different countries and regions. This allows food and beverage buyers to find exactly what they need, how and when they need it, and at a price that works for them and their business. 

How end-to-end sourcing on Alibaba.com works

Everything you need in one place.

• Find products and sellers: Connect with over 230,000 manufacturers, wholesalers, and distributors who can create anything you’re looking for.
• Place and protect your order: Protect your orders for free with Alibaba.com Trade Assurance, our order protection service that ensure your goods are produced as expected and on time.
• Ship and receive your goods: Alibaba.com has partnered with major players in the industry to provide you with reliable and transparent multi-model shipping solutions.

Take your food and beverage business to the next level by browsing on Alibaba.com food and beverage pavilion today.

About Alibaba.com

The first business unit of Alibaba Group, Alibaba.com is a leading platform for global B2B e-commerce that aims to make it easy to do business anywhere. Launched in 1999, Alibaba.com is engaged in services covering all aspects of commerce, including providing businesses with tools that help reach a global audience for their products and helping buyers discover products, find suppliers, and place orders online fast and efficiently. It serves millions of buyers and suppliers from over 200 countries and regions around the world.