COVID-19 and demand for e-commerce

Oct 19, 2021

COVID-19 has accelerated the uptake of online food shopping.

‘Consumer behaviour and attitudes towards food purchasing changed quickly and dramatically because of the pandemic,’ says Jeewani Fernando, provincial consumer market analyst with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. ‘Despite the large volume of sales during the pandemic, there was a marked decline in multiple weekly grocery trips. These have been replaced by single large shopping trips and an increase in online purchasing.’

The latest Consumer Corner looks at how COVID-19 affected the demand for e-commerce. Fernando says many consumers tried online food shopping for the first time during the pandemic. Sales trends show that consumers have become more comfortable buying grocery and food products online.

Convenience is the main reason for online shopping followed by safety and health and other factors. However, consumer concerns about fees, the quality and selection of perishable items, and an immediate need for the groceries are some of the main challenges.

‘Retailers may consider expanding same-day delivery service or introducing annual subscription plans rather than using one-time delivery fees. They might also increase the availability of curbside pickup to alleviate some of the concerns and to drive more online shopping.’

Pandemic restrictions on restaurant capacity and reluctance among many diners to frequent indoor public places have shifted food service and drinking places to offer more contactless delivery and take-out options, and many have made investments to expand their online sales capabilities. Consumers stayed home and used various platforms to find restaurants and order in meals in 2020.

‘Using e-commerce to purchase food still has strong growth potential in Canada, given the significant growth in both supply and demand during the pandemic in 2020. These industry insights may help Alberta food retailers and food service providers to better manage their food product offerings in the post-pandemic era,’ says Fernando.

Source : alberta

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.