In today’s rapidly evolving retail landscape, food and beverage (F&B) manufacturers, particularly startups, consider e-commerce as a key component of their sales strategy. As consumer shopping habits shift and digital platforms become more integral to everyday life, incorporating e-commerce into sales models offers numerous benefits and growth opportunities. As Domenique Mastronardi, COO, Beck’s Broth, manufacturer of bone broth-based products, says, “Omnichannel is the way in 2025.”
“We need to be accessible to all of our customers wherever they are,” she shares.
“If we didn’t have that multi-channel approach, then [customers] wouldn’t have found us through Amazon. So it’s really cool to be able to try and show up as in as many places as possible,” adds Rebecca Prime, Mastronardi’s business partner and founder of Beck’s Broth.
Beacon Commerce, an e-commerce agency specializing in product strategy, pay-per-click (PPC) advertising and account management, is currently running a Shine on Amazon 2025 contest and giving away up to $25,000 in prizes to help up-and-coming brands sell successfully on Amazon, the world’s largest e-commerce platform. I spoke to the founder Don Thompson about the role of e-commerce in omnichannel marketing for F&B manufacturers as well as the founders of Beck’s Broth, who sell 70 per cent of their products via e-commerce on platforms like Amazon, Well.ca as well as their own website.
Difficulties with accessing traditional retail channels
According to Statistics Canada, retail e-commerce sales accounted for 6.1 per cent of total retail trade in January 2025. While not high, the convenience for consumers and sellers makes e-commerce an attractive option for new companies.
“Shopping habits have changed dramatically,” Thompson notes. “Consumers are now more inclined to shop online, and brands must adapt to meet them where they are.”
Additionally, the costs of brick-and-mortar retail are so prohibitive for small brands that it can be crippling. E-commerce doesn’t demand listing fee, and small companies can spend a significant amount of money on building their own brand instead of Loblaw’s or Sobeys’.
“Many people rush to get into retail. They mortgage property to pay the listing fees, and they end up lasting three or six months because they don’t have any budget left to pull through the inventory. As exciting as it is when Whole Foods says they want your product, take a step back and make sure that it makes sense for your business at the stage you are in,” advises Thompson.
Don Thompson.
He stresses the fact that an effective e-commerce strategy not only enhances customer experience, but also drives profitability and brand loyalty.
Prime and Mastronardi agree. Even though Beck’s Broth’s products are sold in 300-plus retail stores, 70 per cent of their sales is from e-commerce and 10 per cent of that is from Amazon alone. The company has grown phenomenally since Prime started selling her products in farmer’s markets in 2021. One thing led to another, and the company grew 250 per cent YoY in 2024. Mastronardi says the company is on track to growing 4X this year. They’re also planning to launch two more products this year.
“We can build direct connections with people who kind of stumble upon our website or our social media channels and it’s easier to convert the buyer once you have that conversation with them. It’s much easier to sell online compared to retail because we can’t meet the customers who are shopping in person,” says Prime.
Integrating e-commerce into your marketing
Integrating e-commerce into your existing business model requires careful consideration of various factors, including pricing, logistics and customer experience. Thompson highlights the importance of maintaining consistent pricing across all channels to avoid confusion and ensure partner satisfaction.
“If a customer sees your product is priced differently online and in-store, it can create confusion and dissatisfaction,” he explains.
Rebecca Prime and Domenique Mastronardi.
Best practices for listing products online
When listing products online, F&B manufacturers must be aware of price dynamics in other channels.
Thompson advises, “Respecting the omnichannel experience and ensuring pricing is managed across all platforms is crucial.”
Shipping is a huge consideration when consumers shop online. As Thompson explains, shipping costs are the number one reason for buyers to abandon shopping carts, so price your products and shipping charges accordingly.
For instance, Beck’s Broth sells its hot chocolate, tea and coffee products by the sachet at retail stores. Consumers who buy the products on their website are already converted and typically purchasing for everyday consumption, so they have no problem spending $100 on a pack of 12. However, on Amazon, where shoppers aren’t familiar with the brand, $100 per box is a tough price for what would be considered a discovery purchase.
“We had to innovate something that wasn’t gonna be $109 for their [customers’] first trial. So, we designed a five-pack product, and we just optimised it to be the most profitable as possible, but then also be under $50, so that customers kind of have that trust for us,” explains Prime, who started distributing via Amazon in November 2024.
Additionally, new manufacturers should focus on building their brand through social media and optimizing their e-commerce presence with paid promotions, SEO optimization and backlinks, as only 1.62 per cent of e-commerce visits convert into purchases.
Prime and Mastronardi concur. They are very active on several social media channels.
“Our product is premium, so it has a higher price tag. In this economy, people are worried about spending their dollar when they don’t know who it’s going to, and they don’t know the brands or the people they’re supporting. I feel like by putting our brand story and our faces behind it and having the conversations with as many people as we can online, they’re not just buying a product anymore; they’re buying into a brand that they love and support,” explains Prime.
“By having that open communication and sharing our story in an authentic way has allowed us to grow in a comfortable and fun pace because people are just excited. They feel like they are Beck’s Broth and that’s what we’ve always wanted to do since the very beginning. We wanted to develop a community who truly wanted to soar with us, and I think that’s just allowed us to have all the success in the world,” adds Mastronardi.
Trademarking is another important step to protect your brand and your investment as well as branding.
“Aside from social media and our presence there, in the beginning we invested our money into making sure that our branding looked like how we wanted it to look. We wanted it to look premium with elevated nostalgia, so people automatically get that feeling of comfort,” shares Prime.
Mastronardi highlights convenience.
“When you’re working on e-commerce having convenience for your customer is gonna make or break [and determine] whether they’re going to order or not. If they go online and they know they have to wait a week [for the product], they’re not gonna buy it. Or if they’re clicking and can’t figure out what your product is or can’t find the nutrition facts, they’re just gonna move on to the next thing. So for us, having clear shipping and a really clear process on how to get the product shipped is [one of] the reasons why customers keep coming back to our store,” she adds.
Compliance with food regulations
Compliance with food safety and labelling regulations is as essential for e-commerce success as traditional retail. “Compliance is an absolute must-have. And it’s [online platforms] not well-policed, but when it is, it’s a real pain if you’re not compliant,” warns Thompson.
He stresses the importance of maintaining consistent labelling across all channels to avoid legal issues and ensure customer trust. He advises against an Amazon-only SKU, as you “want to be able to move that inventory whether it’s to Whole Foods or to Amazon.”
In order to maintain the flexibility of inventory, one shouldn’t design packaging specifically for any channel.
Managing logistics and supply chain challenges
Logistics and supply chain management are critical components of a successful e-commerce strategy. Thompson points out that expiration date management is a key challenge for e-commerce platforms like Amazon.
“Amazon does not use a first-in, first-out model, so managing expiration dates is crucial to avoid customer dissatisfaction,” he says. “This is not that big of a deal for your own e-commerce platform because you’re pulling from the same 3PL partner inventory.”
Packaging for e-commerce
When it comes to e-commerce, it’s advisable to avoid glass jars because they’re heavy and fragile. Glass jars require additional protective covering like bubble wraps, which will hike up the cost, an undesirable outcome as the actual product’s cost should be competitive.
“If Well.ca has that same product for less than Amazon, Amazon deprecates your experience on their platform because they want to be the lowest price,” warns Thompson.
He suggests using packaging that’s simple and strong with effective branding. He recommends stand-up pouches as they are easy to transport.
“Amazon is usually going to put your product into some form of Amazon box, but they’re also going to put a bunch of other stuff in that box,” so the packaging must be strong, cautions Thompson.
Beck’s Broth, the winner of Beacon Commerce’s 2024 Shine on Amazon contest, used to package their products in thin cardboard boxes, which worked very well for retail and their own e-commerce site because “they put one big box inside a box and included a handwritten note and some sparkles.” This didn’t work for Amazon, so they had to make some adjustments to the packaging.
“All of our products were delivering squished. The packaging was just ruined. The sachets were fine but the beautiful carton that they came in was ripped and it wasn’t presentable,” recalls Mastronardi. “Instead of sending the five-pack cartons in a master case to Amazon, where Amazon would just take the carton and throw it into another box or another order, we actually had to put the five-pack cartons in another safety cardboard box.”
Leveraging e-commerce for brand ownership
E-commerce offers F&B manufacturers the opportunity to own their brand experience.
Thompson explains, “Having a sense of ownership over your brand and controlling your experience is vital for success in the e-commerce space.”
By integrating e-commerce into their omnichannel strategy, manufacturers can reach a broader audience and enhance their brand presence.
Role of e-commerce for established brands
While e-commerce is often associated with smaller, emerging brands, established companies are also recognizing its potential.
Thompson notes, “Established brands are increasingly exploring e-commerce as a marketing channel to maintain their price and brand experience.”
By leveraging e-commerce, these brands can provide better customer service and avoid the pitfalls of third-party resellers.
“Even if you’re a mid-size brand with great distribution, great retail penetration, etcetera, you got to consider Amazon or Walmart or any of these e-commerce channels as at least a marketing channel that allows you to maintain your price and brand experience and not let people [third-party sellers] offer poor customer service or charge outrageous sums of money for a product that just doesn’t make any sense,” says Thompson.
Building customer loyalty through e-commerce
Building customer loyalty in the e-commerce space requires strategic initiatives such as subscribe-and-save programs and personalized marketing. Thompson suggests using tools like Recharge on Shopify to create loyalty benefits and encourage repeat purchases.
“If I can make it so you’re buying my peanut butter every month, it’s one less thing the consumer has to think about,” he explains.
E-commerce is indeed a powerful tool that can supplement and enhance your omnichannel strategy. By integrating e-commerce into your business model and leveraging digital platforms for brand ownership, F&B manufacturers in Canada can navigate the complexities of the modern retail landscape and achieve long-term success.
As Thompson aptly puts it, “Creating a great experience for customers is key to thriving in the e-commerce space.”
- Source: https://www.foodincanada.com/features/integrating-e-commerce-into-your-omnichannel-strategy/
