The food and beverage ecommerce industry has seen rapid growth in recent years, and it shows no signs of slowing down. With increasingly busy lifestyles and changing consumer shopping behaviors, more and more shoppers are turning to online ordering as the new normal. 

According to Statista, the global online food delivery market is projected to reach $1.40 trillion in revenue in 2025. In the United States, the market is expected to hit $429.95 billion in 2025. This kind of growth presents a massive opportunity for retailers ready to meet the escalating demand.

But with opportunity comes competition, and competition in this industry is fierce. Major players dominate the market with already established infrastructure, extensive logistical capabilities and product catalogs, and fast delivery. For smaller or growing food and beverage retailers, staying competitive means embracing smarter strategies, from strong site search and merchandising to personalization and retention.

Product Recommendations That Drive AOV and Move Inventory

If you have perishable inventory, you can’t afford to let products sit unsold. With AI-driven product recommendations, you can serve up the right products at the right time to ensure you sell expiring or seasonal stock before it goes to waste. It’s also one of the most effective ways to increase average order value (AOV). Offering accurate and relevant product suggestions that pair well together (e.g., cheese and crackers or wine and chocolate) improves your customers’ shopping experiences, increases conversions, and boosts revenue. 

Relevant suggestions are especially critical in food and beverage ecommerce. Shoppers are more likely to add complementary products when they feel like they belong with what’s already in their cart. Timing matters as well, since seasonal merchandising plays a significant role. Suggesting the right types of products around certain holidays will put you on a path to success, such as recommending chocolate to shoppers around Easter or Halloween. With Searchspring, you can automate product suggestions and seasonal merchandising, ensuring the right products reach the right shopper at the right time—every time. 

Give Shoppers What They Crave with Personalization 

Personalization is the secret to making each interaction feel tailored and relevant. Research from McKinsey & Company found that 71% of consumers expect companies to deliver personalized interactions and 76% get frustrated when they don’t get them. If you’re not delivering tailored experiences, you’re not just missing an opportunity; you’re losing conversions. 

Personalization helps you cater to past shopping behaviors, customer values, and even dietary preferences. For example: 

• If a shopper orders gluten-free items, offering them a selection of gluten-free products will greatly improve their shopping experience. 
• If someone frequently buys organic products, you could suggest organic products and sustainably sourced meals. 
• Repeat buyers of a specific brand or product should also receive customized offers.

These types of suggestions will show them that you support their preferences and values, which is likely to drive conversions. Tailoring offers based on past purchases can make customers feel seen and understood, and that’s what builds loyalty. 

Searchspring’s personalization tools help you serve up the right products for every shopper, creating more relevant shopping journeys that elevate customer experiences.

Your Products May Expire, But Your Customer Relationships Shouldn’t 

Considering how hard you work to acquire new customers, the last thing you want to do is let them slip away after just one order. You may have sustainable produce, but do you have sustainable customer relationships? 

Building long-term relationships with your customers is the key to long-term success in food and beverage ecommerce. A Statista report on Just Eat showed that 67% of active consumers worldwide returned for repeat orders. Nearly three-quarters of customers returned—many more than once. This kind of stickiness doesn’t just happen by accident. It’s driven by consistently exceptional experiences and thoughtful engagement. You can turn first-time buyers into loyal customers by: 

• Offering incentives like exclusive discounts or rewards for repeat orders. 
• Recommending products based on purchase history.
• Sending personalized offers tied to specific shopper preferences.
• Engaging customers through loyalty programs, seasonal offers, and birthday rewards.

Take it from Beer Cartel, a food and beverage retailer using Searchspring: “We get a lot of positive feedback about the site these days, compared to when our support line used to get swamped by customers that were struggling to find what they were looking for. Our returning visitors are up, which means the site is doing the job it’s meant to do in building and maintaining a loyal customer base. Search and navigation plays such a huge role in that.” 

Navigating a Crowded Market

The food and beverage ecommerce market is rapidly growing, but so is the competition. Large, major brands may have scale on their side, but that doesn’t mean smaller retailers can’t win. 

By focusing on accurate, relevant, and personalized product recommendations, strategic seasonal merchandising, and customer-first shopping experiences, you can boost AOV, grow revenue, and increase customer lifetime value (CLV).

Ready to serve up smarter shopping experiences? Request a demo to see how Searchspring helps food and beverage retailers increase conversions, loyalty, and long-term growth.