I’m often asked if everything can be sold online. And my answer is “of course, why not?”. Although e-commerce is a relatively recent phenomenon on a human scale, we mustn’t forget that the basis of commerce has always been to bring products from elsewhere to customers. If in the 20th century, in the age of the automobile, we wanted to get people moving, let’s not forget that in the past it was often the salespeople who did the last mile. And then, in the tele-shopping era of the 80s and 90s, didn’t people buy from a distance? In short, e-commerce is just one innovation among many, neither the first nor the last. And yes, anything can be sold this way.
But what about fresh produce?
The reason I’m writing this post today is to combat such preconceptions. The problem has always been the profitability of the last mile. And today, apparently, Chronopost believes in it too, as rumor has it that they are currently considering opening a marketplace for the sale of fresh and dry produce. But is it really so revolutionary? For example, Abel and Cole have been around for years in the UK, and La Belle Assiette proves that to a certain extent, even chefs are willing to play delivery boy. At the end of the day, it all comes down to the same problem: making the most of the delivery driver’s time and the cost of travel. When the urban fabric is dense, it’s easy, but in the countryside, it’s less so. In the past, didn’t we have milkmen making their rounds? So it’s more a question of finding innovative solutions, combining old-fashioned methods with new technologies.
In conclusion
It would be a mistake to think that you can’t sell everything online. If logistics can keep up, if customer service is good, there’s no reason why it can’t work. Whether you’re selling a service or a product, even a hyper-fresh or hyper-specialized one, there’s nothing impossible about it. After that, of course, it all depends on the effectiveness of your marketing strategy and the match between supply and demand. Getting back to the real issue: does your product or service meet a need? From a real person, who’s willing to pay to solve their problem? If so, there’s no need to make excuses. There’s only one thing to do: go for it and beat the competition to the finish line!
