Overcoming major shipping challenges in e-commerce

Added on 20 June 2022

Tags

Overcoming major shipping challenges in e-commerce

In a world where technology creeps into every aspect of life, horticulture is no exception. Some growers across the country have engaged in e-commerce sales since 2010, while others jumped on the bandwagon when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020. The post-COVID world shows more customers than ever before are interested in buying plants online. They prefer the ease and convenience of having a plant delivered to their doorstep.

When the pandemic began in 2020, garden centers scrambled to sell their plants online rather than in-store and came up with contactless, drive-thru pick-up plans. For the last two years, retailers and growers were forced to revisit how they sell their plants. Many found that online sales are the way of the future, but not without their challenges. Growers note that weather and delivery problems may impact customer satisfaction, so they prepare for the worst before plants are shipped.

"More dangerous than the weather sometimes is the guy carrying the boxes," says Tom Watson, Director of Marketing and E-commerce for The Perennial Farm in Glen Arm, MD.

E-commerce Revenue on the Rise

Growers are reporting an increase in their revenue and number of orders through e-commerce platforms. Bert Hucks, Vice President and General Manager of the E-commerce Division at Costa Farms in Miami, FL, says the company's e-commerce division has doubled its revenue on average every year for the last five years. Costa, which has 48 million square feet of controlled-environment production, sells plants wholesale to retail channel partners and direct to consumer via Shop.CostaFarms.com.

Continue reading.

Editor's note: This is the first installment of a three-part print and digital series on e-commerce. Watch for an article next month on labor challenges and solutions.

Photo created by pressfoto - www.freepik.com