In an age dominated by digital communication and virtual interactions, the art of face-to-face communication remains a valuable tool in the world of marketing. Last month, a dynamic duo from Webselect Ltd., armed with business cards and a determination to connect, embarked on an inspiring journey through three industrial estates in Devon, reminding us all that there is no substitute for genuine personal interactions in building lasting business relationships.

In a candid account of their expedition, the pair recounted their experiences engaging with fellow businesses in a direct marketing campaign. Armed with the simplicity of a handshake and a warm smile, they set out to introduce themselves, establish meaningful contacts, and make a significant impact.

One of the key takeaways from this venture was the realisation that digital agencies are not mere faceless entities. Through their initiative, these Webselect representatives broke down the virtual barriers that often surround such companies and proved that there are real individuals behind the services they offer. In a world that’s increasingly automated and impersonal, this genuine effort resonated deeply with the businesses they approached.

Timing, as it often is, proved to be a crucial factor in this endeavour. The team discovered that their visits were sometimes impeccably timed, coming in as the solution to a pressing problem. For some businesses, the arrival of Webselect Ltd. marked the most beneficial introduction of the week. Others had just completed the construction of a new website, yet even in these instances, the engagement proved fruitful as a starting point for potential future collaboration.

While the immediate aim of landing a massive project was never the expectation, the experience affirmed the value of initiating genuine conversations. The courage to physically reach out, knocking on doors rather than waiting for them to open, yielded a sense of empowerment and agency. The face-to-face meetings not only laid the foundation for future working relationships but also emphasised the significance of the first move in establishing connections.

In the grand scheme of marketing endeavours, it’s easy to become enamoured with the allure of digital platforms and the potential for instant global reach. However, the inspiring journey of our intrepid duo serves as a poignant reminder that the power of human interaction remains unparalleled. By venturing out, making oneself known, and engaging in meaningful conversations, the team unlocked a treasure trove of future opportunities.

In conclusion, the value of personal connections cannot be overstated in the ever-evolving landscape of marketing. The tale of Webselect Ltd.’s expedition offers a valuable lesson for businesses big and small: don’t underestimate the impact of a handshake, a friendly chat, and a well-timed visit. As digital technologies continue to shape the way we communicate, there’s a timeless lesson to be learned – sometimes, all it takes is a pair of sturdy shoes and a genuine interest to create enduring connections that pave the way for success

With their expertise in e-commerce platform development, user experience optimisation, and digital marketing strategies, Webselect Ltd. can help businesses navigate the digital landscape with confidence.

Feel free to drop us a mail on [email protected]

or call 0208 066 1000 to talk more about how we can help you.

A round table perspective on the South West’s Food and Drink sector by industry leaders.

About the author and why this report:

Webselect is a brilliant e-commerce agency based in the heart of South Devon for the last 25 years, providing tailored and consistently solid e-commerce software solutions for accelerating online sales. Webselect builds the technology and user experience being the ‘secret sauce’ behind brands online success and it’s all engineered by a team who’ve been perfecting it for years. With a range of loyal clients across many sectors including fashion, lifestyle, gifting and food and drink, Webselect takes the time to understand a client’s business, advising towards appropriate solutions in digital channels now and for the future. As a member of Food Drink Devon, Webselect wanted to better understand the thriving food and beverage sector in the South West, take time to temperature check feelings and confidence for the year ahead with business leaders and give that insight back to the sector. The theme was ‘Surviving or Thriving?’

Executive Summary

The South West food and drink market is facing several challenges, with supply chains being a major concern. Surcharges on orders due to fuel prices, product adjustments, additional staffing, and courier costs have led to a knock-on effect, where businesses cannot offer set prices or develop products due to ingredient availability. The fuel crisis and ongoing supply delays for rural properties have also led to challenges, with businesses forced to raise wages and product prices multiple times to retain staff, while labour gaps have emerged due to the lack of seasonal workers since leaving the EU. Additionally, the monopoly of courier services and their strikes have impacted the market significantly. Sustainability and B-Corp values were discussed, but there are concerns that the value of such certifications may be diminishing.

The discussion examined the impact of e-commerce channels on businesses and highlighted the benefits and challenges of using e-commerce platforms, hiring digital agencies, and shifting to online operations due to the pandemic. The use of e-commerce platforms can streamline processes and help establish relationships with customers, but can also have high costs and limitations if not executed well. Hiring a digital agency can help businesses with digital presence but requires trust, transparency and communication. The article also notes the importance of targeting customer needs and creating a strong relationship between the business and the agency. The challenges and concerns surrounding e-commerce and digital agencies create barriers for SMEs looking to grow their online presence.

In summary

The South West food and drink market is facing significant challenges in its supply chains and labour force, which are impacting pricing, product development, and overall business operations. Recruitment, staff retention and pressure on salary expectations is and remains a significant challenge with concern for the remainder of this year. Marketing and marketing budgets are being squeezed in tougher times but there is agreement that progressive brands see the opportunity to maintain or perhaps ‘double down’ on marketing to gain a larger market share where others are cutting back. It was agreed that digital channels are vital to relationships with customers and trade partners and supply chain and building a trusting relationship with partners is key to ensuring that the outcomes match the business needs. Business leaders in the sector need guidance to help their business grow.

Is 2023 a year of surviving or thriving for the South West food and drink sector? The panel were mixed, however despite many setbacks and challenges ahead confidence remained buoyant, and the term ‘strive’ seemed to be the middle ground.

Supply Chains

“We have to sort of plan ahead and complete prices, and then we find out our costs have gone up in the meantime” – Norm Lewis, Summerskills Brewery

‘What are the key challenges to the Food and Drink market in the South West right now?’ The whole panel replied with supply chains. Amongst the issues raised were that prices are no longer set or predictable. An order may be placed and on receipt, the invoice may state a surcharge that was undisclosed at the time of order. These surcharges may be added to cover fuel prices, price adjustment of the product from the original supplier since the order was made and in some cases, additional staffing or even courier costs.

This has had an enormous knock on effect to the food and drink businesses present. They cannot offer set prices to their clients, or may have to review a price that was negotiated before their ingredients prices increased. Product development has been affected by ingredient availability. Popular products aren’t being made because the ingredients are too expensive or it’s not guaranteed that they will be made available in the near future. For fresh food producers, this has an immediate impact on the trade orders made fresh that week and whether they can fulfil orders to shops, delis, cafes and pubs. No one wants to make their produce and then find the customer can’t afford them or has to turn down their delivery, especially when fresh food spoils and can’t be reassigned to another customer on another order.

One business found this problematic as they are unsure how they are going to keep up with demand in a year where they are forecasting a 120% growth on last year, whilst a south west based soft drinks business are continually informing customers of availability on different lines each week, taking resources away from the business.

Cost of fuel

‘I bought some cask furniture (the closures for beer casks) and it came with an electricity surcharge of 19%’ – Norm Lewis, Summerskills Brewery

The ongoing fuel crisis from last year was also highlighted as a significant challenge. Devon may have the largest road network of any county but it remains predominantly rural. Many domestic and few commercial businesses are ‘off grid’ and rely on oil as their main fuel supply. These properties did not and do not receive any fuel support like those on mains gas and electricity. They are held at the mercy of the supplier getting out to them ‘when they can’. Deliveries have been delayed to accommodate larger customers, or they simply fail to show up on the days they’ve arranged. Due to the rural nature of these businesses, delivery times can take longer so the profit for the supplier becomes less – the small business fails to become a priority for the suppliers.

Staffing costs

“With the challenges around recruitment, I’m looking at digital to try and streamline processes and make the fulfilment of an order as efficient as possible.”- John Williams, Greendale

Last year, one company put their wages up 3 times in one year, and raised their product prices twice. This was to keep the staff happy and incentivised, feel valued and appreciated. The minimum wage keeps rising and to keep the skilled workers at the set rate above the minimum wages, there was a rise across the board. This equates to hundreds of pounds a week. Another business used to have a workforce come from abroad, seasonal workers, for 4 months. Since leaving the EU, they’ve not returned and a huge labour gap has been left. The business turned to a local college to try and fill these gaps but the staff turnover became high and increased the overheads for training and onboarding new staff. The problem still isn’t sorted or running as smoothly as it should, but they’re having to try different tactics to find a solution.

The term recruitment affected everyone at the table. With 71.4% of the table looking to offer jobs this year, here are a few reasons why they were not looking forward to the recruitment process…

• No one wants to work, or if they do it’s for 15.99 hours, the point at which it affects their benefits.
• Young people who would have typically gone out to get a weekend or holiday part time job – experiences at the table to date are that they have little work ethic. Common sense is lacking and there is no ‘gumption’ to just get the job done. They have more rights than ever and far better wages and work environments but this doesn’t appear to be enough.
• The hospitality industry is used as a holding ground before the ‘better, more desired’ job comes along.
• Agency staff are used to fill a staff gap but they cost the earth and usually don’t stick around long after training. They become transient. Any time taken to train or support new staff is time, money and energy lost and has led to some employers placing more work upon themselves – twist it around and it’s time saved, even though they themselves are then working harder. THis in itself is a risk to business as it is not sustainable.
• Businesses that had turned to the European market to fill seasonal vacancies lost out when Brexit happened and the UK market hasn’t stepped up to fill the gap.

The hospitality industry has been horribly underfunded for years and minimum wages have only served to attract temporary, low skilled, seasonal workers before they move on in their employment. After a 4 month placement, one worker left to start employment in her dream job. This was 4 months of time, training, effort, sharing of a passion… that was just wasted. It’s left a bitter taste in the employer’s mouth who is now finding it difficult to try and fill that place again, but rather just take on the extra work on themselves. When a small business invests in new staff, they are vulnerable to losing time and energy that could have been directed elsewhere in the business.

Reduced travel services and increased housing costs from ‘re-locating Londoners’ who do not invest in the economy all year round have crippled the labour pool of those people who love the area, who want to stay and be part of their heritage, landscape and culture. To buy into their community sometimes isn’t an option.

Sustainability credential / B-Corp

“It shows that you care” – Cheryl Ingram, Jolly’s Drinks

‘Is this something we should all do?’ If you’re doing it naturally and particularly if it’s part of the owner/founder’s personal beliefs, then Yes. The news of BrewDog losing their B-Corp status has shaken the table into deep consideration of ‘is it worth it?’ Views were shared that if your business genuinely holds those values, then an initial self audit can highlight whether you match the B-Corp values – on completion, you can determine whether it’s right for you. It was voiced that the B-Corp values can be used as a framework to support your business working towards those values without actually applying for B-Corp status.

The status of ‘being B-Corp’ was recently scrutinised when Innocent drinks gained their B-Corp certificate even though the parent company Coca Cola hadn’t. What made Innocent so different to Coca Cola if they are led by the same business leaders? BrewDog recently lost their B-Corp status leaving business leaders asking how it would affect them if the same happened to them. How would that tarnish the brand and what if it’s a factor out of their control, say a law or a change in supplier due to supply chain issues? Everyone agreed that it was a deeply personal choice taken by each business leader with many factors to be taken into consideration including those of the business culture accounting for staff, consumer and environment.

The panel was interested to discuss the emergence of a new target market. Whilst of a generation that were always the new up and coming generation, it feels like the pandemic has streamlined their requirements. Eco. Ethos. Brand values. This is a younger generation looking to reduce their carbon footprint and wherever possible, pay a little more to support their personal values and beliefs. They are far more engaged with social media and are more willing to showcase these values and brand support than previous generations.

The core dilemma for the panel was whether consumers and customers are making direct purchase decisions based on sustainability credentials and the cost of achieving a recognised accreditation, there was no clear understanding.

Couriers and outbound distribution

“We tried sending parcels to ourselves to get the full experience” – Cheryl Ingram, Jolly’s Drinks

The Royal Mail strikes in December 2022 really focused the spotlight on supply logistics with the inconvenience being emphasised just before Christmas. The whole table concurred that the situation had been stressful and created some difficult conversations and decisions, undoubtedly revenues and reputations were lost.

On the announcement of the strikes, businesses looked to couriers to fill the gap and couriers approached businesses to support where they could. With one less service being provided, it was placed upon the remaining services who in the time sensitive period before Christmas who then had their services oversubscribed. The perception was they’d been greedy. One leader had booked 300 slots for a courier collection which was hastily reduced to 70 leaving 230 courier pick up slots to be found. Some people turned to using 3-4 couriers and playing them off against each other to ensure a decent price and fulfilment of shipping goods. Others were ringing around trying to book slots at local shops and garages. A test run with 3 different couriers was made to allow the business to make the right choice for them – if they could see how they were treated and the product in transit, they could trust and rely on that courier as a partner.

2-3 weeks after the Royal Mail’s initial strike action had started, the courier’s customer service became sloppy. Complaints ranged from no communications, late pick up and even no shows for pick-up’s waiting for them – they’d effectively been ‘bumped’ for the larger customers. Business owners and management teams were taking out delivery vans themselves, anything to make sure that deliveries were made. To date, not a single business has returned to Royal Mail.

A handful of Christmas deliveries were never received. Refunds were duly made to the customer and claims were made against the courier, who did eventually refund the £7 delivery charge. Why should the small business lose out because of the courier’s mistakes? As a small business, customer loyalty and product satisfaction is so much more important as every order or transaction is buying into someone’s time and passion. With spending contracted due to press stories of a shrinking economy, orders reduced and couriers failing to deliver, Christmas was a much tougher time than normal. Typically it is that Christmas boom that can support a small business through the quieter months of January and February.

The press coverage on the strikes did ensure the public were aware of the delivery crisis and softened some awkward conversations when customers were placing or chasing their orders.

Marketing in hard times

“If possible, you’ve got to try and maintain your level of marketing activity, so when the economy recovers and consumer confidence returns, you’re at the top of the pile” – John Williams, Greendale

Universally, everyone agreed that they had thought to cut their marketing budget as soon as financial difficulties or priorities were changed. However, everyone also agreed that this was a ‘cutting your nose off despite your face’ reaction. When costs are going up and less people are investing in your produce, it’s natural to adapt your spending – we do it domestically and professionally. Long term however, it makes sense to have your brand known, still current and relevant for when spending does change and people are able to invest in that brand that’s been through the harder times with them. We just need to be smarter with it and adapt your marketing strategy to support a leaner budget. Be the business that people are excited to buy into when they are more able too.

One business at the table took the step of increasing their marketing budget when the financial news was building over the past 6 months. They wholly believe they are setting themselves ready for the upturn, when it happens.

Should producers sell online?

“It’s kind of becoming the norm isn’t it? So many people and generations growing up, as well as my children, they just buy everything online” – Matt Szczepura, Brickhouse Garden

The majority of the table does sell online and have had a shop presence online since before the pandemic. Everyone has different volumes being sold online and this is typically product dependent. Drinks cans are heavy and cost more to transport; fresh foods and hampers require refrigeration; veg bags are ordered and distributed locally – everyone’s experience of online retail was different.

There was a definite growth in online sales as the pandemic hit March 2020. In fact they rocketed. What has been interesting is that while the return of foot-to-floor purchases have reduced online sales overall, they have not fallen back to pre-pandemic levels. The trend to shop online has remained.

People are enjoying the convenience of a product being delivered to their door. This was noted during and after the pandemic where visitors to the region have remained engaged with a brand on their return home and continued to support the brand from a distance by ordering online. One chance encounter and an e-commerce platform are allowing businesses to engage and create a loyal customer base, build a relationship over a distance. A slick e-commerce platform and gateway allows this process to be streamlined without too much thought, making it easier for the customer.

E-commerce platforms

“We got recommendations from established companies and got introduced and because the cost of implementation was reasonable” – Matt Szczepura, Brickhouse Garden

The ‘as a service’ platforms such as Shopify do a perfectly good job for the here and now and can be built quite quickly at relatively low cost, but there were concerns voiced over how to have the site grow with their businesses or support a business change and way of working. The platforms can be very linear, limited templates that don’t always sit cohesively with the brand. There are many charges too – monthly subscriptions, security levels, payment charges, extras for additional functions for example sale banners, increasing Stock Keeping Units (SKU) numbers – they all add up to an unexpected sum each month. The time it can take to build, maintain and support a site yourself can and does take up a disproportionate amount of time away from running the business and is a frustration.

Amazon and Etsy were also used as a sales platform. They are able to offer your products ads, SEO, CMS, all in one tight package – you can see their appeal. Over time these platforms were dropped once extortionate bills were coming through with confusing bill charges – if their product was featured in an ad, even if they didn’t request it, an additional charge was made against the profit made from that product, reducing margins.

“Amazon could honestly be a full time job” – Harriet Judge

It was noticed that once an original product was uploaded onto Amazon , within weeks or even days, replica products would be available for half the price. In the current climate, for the same looks, people are opting to save a bit of extra money. If any of these giants went bust – all product reviews would be lost (no one leaves reviews on the company website. Itt’s too many clicks away and consumers are inherently lazy by nature), all energies put into ads or SEO would be lost.

Amazon and Etsy are great for wholesale fulfilment to consumer models, but if you are artisan or small in any way, they will not serve you well with minimal margins to be made and a significant amount of time.

Trying to stay local to keep business in the area, but quickly realised the skill sets aren’t necessarily easy to find for digital support – you have to look for the expertise pitching at your needs and budgets.

Digital agencies

‘What makes me really nervous is when I expose myself to a cost that I can’t control, trust with a partner is everything’ – Greg Parsons, Sharpham Cheese

Sadly this topic evoked a collective sigh around the table. Small business owners are quick to put their hands up and state wholeheartedly that they do not know how to do everything – but when they don’t fully understand what they don’t know, they’ll often give it a go. This is the very reason that GoDaddy, Wix, WooCommerce and Shopify exist. Why buy from an agency when you can complete a template yourself and you have full autonomy over it. This is perfectly acceptable until… the business grows, you cannot give the website the time to grow with you, you need to add a new function to your e-commerce page.

Digital Agencies are full of all these people who have the skills to complete these tasks in the click of a finger – but you don’t know what you don’t know, until you find out you didn’t know it. Frustrations lay with agencies failing to be transparent with the client or not listening to the clients specific concerns. Not being able to tailor services to each business’ timeline or area for growth development. There’s no point growing a website’s SEO and the digital presence if the business is unable to scale up production in the same timeframe. This is untenable. And anyway, why is SEO important?

The digital space that we now rely upon to support our business presence, influence, existence is such a fast developing arena that it feels intangible. Once we’ve grasped e-commerce, we suddenly have to learn about social commerce. Speaking of which, which socials best suit our business or time that we can give it? It is these concerns that create a barrier to SME’s taking the digital steps with agencies and businesses to grow their presence online.

Why hire that agency?

It all comes down to education and transparency. If an agency could model and tailor their services they’re offering to suit your business size, growth model and immediate needs, the table believed that they would be more inclined to use an agency, gain trust with them that they were working for their clients best interests – even if this service had to be tailored month on month or quarter by quarter. Costings. Be transparent please. What does £150 a month site support include? Why are this month’s fees so different from last month’s? Show us the analytics that prove that the work you are completing is working. Work with us to grow with us at the speed in which supports us.

Everyone around the table had experience of an agency stating that they would deliver, but on closer inspection actually failed to ‘see’ the business therefore ingraining a culture of mistrust or scepticism over services that could actually and genuinely create a positive customer experience and engagement with their brand.

Contracts weren’t always signed on trust and transparency alone. One business was fortunate to be able to tender their requirements and based the final decision on trust, transparency, skill sets, price, portfolio comparison (is this agency taking us on, only to focus on larger clients?) and did they like the team? Could the relationship work? Whilst this established client is extremely fortunate to be able to accommodate this process, it was discussed that not everyone was able to and were dependent on budgets, stage of the business development and growth, and immediate market focus. In the first instance, you might be bound purely by cost however there was a recognition that you ‘get what you pay for’ and an investment in a good well built, structured e-commerce site was an investment in the business for the medium to long term.

Social patterns, disposable income and product value

“If people are going out less, they want something nice” – Cheryl Ingram, Jolly’s Drinks

Consumers are significantly changing their disposable income spending habits. The recent financial news and forecasts are being reflected in consumer spending. Eating out is happening still, but most definitely on a smaller scale. When people do eat out or are looking to treat themselves, they’re aiming for quality over quantity, treating themselves to locally sourced, or an affordable luxury to enjoy at home. If disposable income is limited, there is a market who wants to make sure they are spending it in the right way on the right produce. This must be reflected in the product – a £20 plate of food must reflect £20 of quality produce and credentials, brand and origin story to back the price point.

Meeting a brand on holiday in the South West and then ‘taking it home with them’ not only showcases the products on a national scale but highlights the ease at which e-commerce can support brand loyalty and the introduction of your products to further afield than your initial local distribution scale.

Premium perception

A few businesses at the table were able to discuss the evolving change of ‘premium’. Premium is starting to be aligned with locally sourced, artisan, small batch, local produce rather than internationally known products and brands. One small distillery isn’t anything to worry about, but a whole evolving sector of many small businesses that are garnering local support, are knocking the previous brands from their once revered heights. They may be small but in large numbers they have created a concern for the renowned brands who have in reaction to this realisation started to knock on smaller doors to create bespoke collaborations and retain their hold on the markets.

Product value

At what point will people stop paying for your product and look for cheaper? This query was posed and no one was able to answer it. Cheaper products are already out there and readily available. The products at the table are conscious choices made by the consumer to support local, artisan, reduced footprint, brand identity and no one could answer when they knew the point at which customers would then take that decision to support a cheaper alternative. The

many factors affecting these ‘push’ decisions go far beyond our control and into domestic budgets. These are personal budgets that our supply chains, business rates and staff costs have no significance over. This is worrying when a typical business year would see one price rise usually made in line with inflation and cost of living but some businesses at the table have had to make 2 price rises in one year even though their suppliers may have made 3 or 4 for them to absorb in the same time frame.

It was widely agreed across the table that transparency goes a long way to building trust, engaging new and existing customers with your product and brand. If you’re honest about why costs are going up, why your delivery is going to be late and are willing to hold honest and open conversations, people are more likely to understand. It might not fix an issue but at least everyone can gain a perspective and empathy towards one another. A working relationship may well be put on hold for factors beyond your influence, but it’ll be there another day if factors realign to enable the relationship again.

International monopoly

A high level of frustration was vented over the increasing international monopoly larger corporations hold over blocking markets for smaller scale businesses. Packaging, couriers, ingredients, market pricing, taxes on imports (10%) over local produce (20%) – whilst everyone was doing their utmost to curb the impacts of these giants over our industry, it all feels a little bit helpless.

What can and is being done to support the industry’s tenacious business owners? Even though we’ve left the EU, we still have international companies deciding how they influence our supply chains and the regulations are still not in place to support our nation’s best interests or food security in these decisions, they are wholly out of our hands.

Packaging

“For an artisan quality product, we sought to present our produce in fine packaging. After speaking with our wholesale clients about the market and potential price rises to accommodate the new packaging costs, everyone said they were more than happy with the product, the packaging almost didn’t matter. We now supply a few customers using mushroom crates repurposed from a local business and a cheaper recyclable cardboard box whilst maintaining our sustainability credentials.” – Clair Harrison-Jones, Shepherd Shack Catering

The last few years have had an increasing awareness of being ‘eco’ and especially from your packaging. This really came to the forefront of businesses’ consciousness during the pandemic when cardboard prices increased tremendously as everyone turned to online shopping. Small businesses were now competing on the same platform as larger wide scale businesses and decisions had to be made about whether the consumer would be focused on fancy, eco, lightweight, protective packaging. Those decisions were made rather quickly in the first instance and as time went on and more packaging was required, businesses were able to reflect on what mattered to them, their consumer and ultimately, what they could afford to purchase in a turbulent market.

Finding packaging for the smaller individual items was more challenging as larger businesses were able to offer up front fees to ensure their supply didn’t suffer or diminish which posed a significant problem to smaller scale businesses who were not able to offer this financial incentive. Cans and bottles were ordered and in some cases were more expensive once an additional surcharge was added on delivery. The monopoly over being able to order large scale quantities really impacted on the smaller businesses who had no perceived impact on the markets.

Customer engagement

Meet your target market! A discussion was had about the buyers of the products and there was often a stark contrast in product lines being popular with B2B compared to those preferred by B2C. Fayres, tasting events, event support, markets, trade fairs – anything that can introduce your product to a customer became so much more important after the Covid pandemic. We were re-introducing our brands and reminding people of who we were, that we were still here and in some cases had developed even more or different product lines. You simply cannot ‘try’ a product online so putting it in front of people and finding out face to face what people like about your product, or don’t, or where they can purchase it is all such valuable information and feedback that online just cannot offer. This goes for wholesale too as they are often bridging the gap and getting your product onto the shelves.

Business Forecasts – ‘Surviving or Thriving?’

The final question: Do the Panel see this as a year to survive or thrive?

Businesses are looking to thrive. Business plans and financial decisions are being scrutinised more regularly to support short term and long term growth. Of the businesses around the table, some businesses were less optimistic and see this is a year to survive whilst a majority was looking to thrive. It was wholly acknowledged that the next 6 months would pose challenges and would potentially be seen as the ‘survive’ months but beyond that, opportunities were being sought after, the pandemic mantra of ‘adapt’ was key to embracing a wholly unwritable or predictable 2023. International events and corporations will continue to have an impact on the decisions made, the directions taken and will ultimately shape how these businesses look to complete 2023 and indeed if they look anything like they did at the start.

The panel agreed that to be a food and drink business owner, you have to demonstrate a fair amount of tenacity and agility and whilst it appeared for a while that this would be dampened, this group of representatives are clearly seeking to stand their ground, speak up and be proud of their achievements to date. Overall, there is confidence in the industry, all businesses continue to strive and are looking to the spring summer season, it looks like 2023 might actually be a year to thrive. Watch this space.

The contributors

Location: Webselect, 1, New Walk, Totnes, Devon

Attendees:

Harriet Judge
Marketing and e-commerce Manager, China Blue

Norm Lewis
Owner, Summerskills Brewery

Greg Parsons
Owner, Sharpham Cheese

Matt Szczepura
Director, Brickhouse Vineyard and Garden

Cheryl Ingram
Director, Jolly’s Drinks

John Williams
e-commerce and Marketing, Greendale Farm Shop

Clair Harrison-Jones
Business Development Executive, Webselect
Director, Shepherd Shack Catering

Matthew Hill
Managing Director, Webselect / Host of Round Table discussion

Reporting Authors:

It’s no longer news that eCommerce has become an increasingly important channel for businesses to sell their products. However, as more businesses seek to open up new channels, less obvious retailers such as horticultural nurseries are embracing the possibilities it brings to reach customers beyond their local area. According to a 2019 survey conducted by the Horticultural Trades Association, gardening is the most popular hobby in the UK, with an estimated 27 million adults actively gardening, indicating an enormous market waiting to be tapped.

Additionally, a study conducted by the Royal Horticultural Society in 2020 found that more than three-quarters of UK adults surveyed (77%) said that gardening had a positive impact on their mental health and well-being, adding another market segment for savvy retailers to appeal to.

In this blog, we will explore some of the key considerations for horticultural nurseries in the UK looking to sell online.

In addition to selling directly to consumers, horticultural nurseries in the UK may also want to target industry specific periphery businesses such as wholesalers, landscape gardeners, and even outdoor living and lifestyle. These businesses can be a valuable source of revenue, especially during times when B2C demand is low.

When it comes to choosing an eCommerce platform, it’s important to do your research and choose one that meets your specific needs. Some platforms are better suited to small businesses, while others are designed for larger enterprises. You should also consider factors such as ease of use, customer support, and ease of integration with other software tools.

It’s also possible that you already have a website that’s not delivering the results you need. If that’s the case. it’s time to consider digital marketing strategies – search engine optimisation, paid Google ads, social media advertising and email marketing are all effective ways to reach new customers and keep existing ones engaged with your business.

‘We use a lot of social media such as Instagram but we know we need to look at our website again. It doesn’t reflect us as a business anymore but we just haven’t got the time, or patience, to update it.’

Finally, if you have any further queries about selling online and eCommerce for horticultural nurseries, we’re here to act as a sounding board for your ideas and questions. Having a thriving business from home means you can focus on what you love – growing beautiful plants – while still reaching a wider audience through eCommerce.

Horticultural nurseries in the UK have a great opportunity to expand their business by selling online, and the demand is there. With the right eCommerce platform, digital marketing strategy, and mindset, your business can reach new customers and increase your revenue without sacrificing your love for growing plants.

To find out more, contact

By calling: 0208 066 1000

Or email us at: [email protected]

To see some happy gardening clients of ours, visit here

Webselect is a brilliant eCommerce agency based in the heart of South Devon for the last 25 years. We provide retailers with tailored and consistently solid e-commerce software solutions for accelerating online sales with a budget you can afford. Webselect builds the technology and user experience, the ‘secret sauce’ behind brands online success and it’s all engineered by a team who’ve been perfecting it for years. With a range of loyal clients across many sectors we are trusted to collaborate to be transparent and honest in everything we do. Webselect takes the time to understand a client’s business, advising towards appropriate solutions in digital channels now and for the future. As a supporting member of Food Drink Devon we understand the importance of our F&B clients challenges and opportunities.

Read the full report from the table discussion which includes many topics from rising cost of distribution, energy costs, big brand competition and marketing attitudes.

Full report here.

When running a business, it’s easy to let the choice of eCommerce platform take a back seat. After all, with stock to manage, customers to support, and sales targets to hit, a website can feel like a box to tick rather than a strategic tool. But the reality is this: the right eCommerce platform can be the difference between sustainable growth and missed opportunities.

At Webselect, we understand that opting for a bespoke system can feel daunting. Yet, in our 20 years of experience, we’ve seen first-hand how choosing a platform designed for your business – not one you have to adapt around – can transform long-term success.

Harvard Business Review has shown that around 73% of consumers prefer to shop through multiple channels. That means businesses can no longer rely on a “one-size-fits-all” solution. If you’re serious about growth, a bespoke eCommerce platform could be the competitive edge you need.

Why Bespoke eCommerce Platforms Beat Off-the-Shelf

There are countless eCommerce platforms available, from Shopify to Magento, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce. These can work well for startups or smaller retailers. But as businesses grow, these platforms often impose limitations: rigid templates, escalating fees, and constraints that force you to shape your business around the technology.

A bespoke solution flips that on its head. Instead of compromising, you get a platform built around your exact business model, processes, and goals. That means:

• Flexibility – Custom features that enhance efficiency and customer engagement.

• Scalability – A system designed to grow with your business, without the need for costly migrations.

• Brand alignment – A user experience and design that reflects your identity, not a generic template.

Your business is unique. Your platform should be too.

The Business Case for Bespoke eCommerce

Choosing an eCommerce platform isn’t just a technical decision – it’s a financial one. For established and growing businesses, the total cost of ownership becomes critical. Beyond the upfront investment, you need to consider:

• Expansion of product catalogues and SKUs – Will your system handle growth without breaking?

• Training staff on the CMS – Is the backend intuitive, or will it eat into productivity?

• UX and design refreshes – How costly and disruptive will these be?

• Integrations – Can you easily connect with CRMs, ERPs, payment gateways, or logistics partners?

• Commission costs – Off-the-shelf platforms often take a percentage of every transaction, cutting into your margins.

By planning early and investing in a tailored solution, you protect your long-term cash flow and avoid painful rebuilds later.

How a Bespoke Platform Elevates Customer Experience

Customer expectations are higher than ever. A bespoke eCommerce platform empowers you to meet – and exceed – them.

• Custom loyalty schemes and discounts – Encourage repeat purchases and referrals.

• Frictionless checkout – Features like one-click ordering and abandoned-cart reminders reduce lost sales.

• Personalised journeys – Use data-driven insights to refine navigation and product recommendations.

These features not only boost sales but also remind customers that there are real people behind the website – building loyalty that lasts.

Data-Driven Growth

A bespoke platform isn’t just about looks and usability – it’s also about intelligence. Custom analytics provide:

• Detailed insights into how customers browse, buy, and drop off.

• Data that can inform marketing campaigns, product development, and user interface improvements.

• A clearer picture of ROI across different channels.

This ability to truly understand your customers helps you stay one step ahead of the competition.

Security and Scalability Built In

Security is non-negotiable. Bespoke solutions can be built with advanced encryption techniques and PCI DSS-compliant gateways, keeping sensitive customer data safe at every stage.

And as your business grows, a tailored platform grows with you. Designed with scalability at its core, it can accommodate surges in traffic, new product lines, or expansion into international markets – without the disruption of switching platforms.

Introducing SelectCommerce

At Webselect, we’ve poured over two decades of expertise into creating SelectCommerce – our bespoke eCommerce platform. Trusted by a wide range of clients, SelectCommerce has enabled businesses to achieve staggering growth, with some seeing increases of 400% or more within just 4–7 years.

It’s not just software – it’s a partnership. We work alongside you to ensure your platform evolves with your business, delivering measurable results year after year.

Ready to Grow?

If you’re looking to accelerate online sales, invest wisely, and secure a solution that delivers long-term return on investment, we’d love to talk.

? Call us: 0208 066 1000
? Email us: [email protected]

At Webselect, honesty and transparency are at the heart of everything we do. Let’s build something exceptional together.

Can you see it? No, really? Have you pressed Ctrl+F5?

Here at Webselect, we thrive on being as innovative as possible, aiming to improve anything affecting us and our clients. Recently, we have had a lot of UX/UI design changes, and noticed a common trend. When changes have been made, sometimes our client’s could not see the change, which is quite a frustrating issue in itself, especially since we could see the change was working across all devices and browsers as part of our pre-release QA. We got together last week and brainstormed the issue; how can we make the browser display the latest CSS and images without the user having to clear their cache or affecting page weight and performance?

We were intentionally caching images and CSS files to save the page loading times and improve overall performance and optimisation. When we were making changes in the past we were reliant on the cache being cleared and the page redraws when it is first loaded. This was sometimes delayed for our clients and their customers so the impact of front end change was not being seen as quickly as we would all like.

Hashing and Caching

To combat this without affecting performance and quality, we turned to the wonderful world of hashing. Yes hashing – the headache inducing, wonderful world that is hashing. Hashing is the process of transforming any given key or a string of characters into another value. This is usually represented by a shorter, fixed-length value or key that makes it easier to find or employ the original string.

By hashing images and CSS files, we can ensure the “style.css” is only called when it is required instead of every style.css all being called as the file “might” be the one that is needed. By creating a hash whenever we make an update and then deleting the old file, it allows us to keep a log of when an update has been made and we can utilise our version control a lot more efficiently. But more importantly it acts similar to caching, as hashing is based on the name of the file, so if that doesn’t change in the hashing map then the browser will not have to download a newer version. Genius.

The Nerd Bit 🙂

We’re using the hashing algorithm, which can be used for encryption, but we’re using it in another way, to hash the contents of the file, essentially giving us a digital fingerprint. In our build pipeline we’re now generating hashes for static assets (css, images) and generating a manifest, which maps the original file names to their hashed versions. If an asset changes, its hash will change which in turn will update the manifest. We have written our own helper for including assets on pages. Instead of the traditional <img src=”foo.jpg”> we would now write <img src=”@Helpers.Image(“foo.jpg”)”>. This will first check that the manifest is up to date (again using hashing) and then map “foo.jpg” to its hashed counterpart. This would result in something like this: “foo-1adfec9bb23e9dea9f02.jpg”. This will get cached as normal by the browser, but if the file is changed then so will its hash, and the browser will be forced to download the new version. This is called ‘cache busting’.

Why Did We Bother?

We have had a real kick out of solving this problem, as a software engineering team, being presented with technical problems to overcome is what we live for, it just makes us happy. But there are some real world benefits to this and they all matter.

• The client is reassured what we have done is ‘there’ – no more “have you cleared your cache” conversations.
• The customer to the website sees the changes as intended, when intended – all the customers get the same experience.
• The client gets to realise the benefits of the changes immediately when deployed.
• Our sites are predominantly e-commerce sites. Products, new lines, out of stock items and sales are updated constantly from the CMS. The client wants this to be available and correct instantly and this is the key benefit. The user experience is consistent and as intended at the moment of publication.

Webselect builds consistently solid, robust e-commerce solutions. We know e-commerce, and support our clients to grow their business online. Our range of products and services can fit any budget and most importantly we can build it around you and your business. Have a niche integration, no problem. If you want to talk to us, reach out, we are a friendly bunch.

You can chat to us by calling 0208 066 1000

[email protected].

‘Surviving or thriving?’ – What do online sales channels mean to food and drink in 2023? Webselect are hosting a research event to understand the views of food and drink business leaders and food influencers, looking into the Food & Drink industry, specifically here in Devon and the surrounding South West.

The South West hosts some of the nations most fabulous food and drink providers from market gardens and vineyards, spirit and artisan drinks producers, specialist premium, fresh and prepared produce, food and drink gifting, gastro experiences and everything in between.

The last 3 years have put the country through its paces and none more so than our region’s producers – from furlough, to Covid loans, to Brexit – they’ve all contributed, yet here we are. We still have a blossoming well respected wealth of food producers ALL shouting about what we have to offer.

Producer membership group, Food Drink Devon wholeheartedly supports and promotes their members as being the best in the country, speaking up on behalf of their members on a national scale. Food Drink Devon is headed by a voluntary board who believe in every single member, having proven their quality, sustainability and provenance.

Webselect has partnered with Food Drink Devon to support their membership by offering the chance to complete a digital health-check on their website platforms – checking performance, site speeds and digital health whilst being on hand for queries and advice about their e-commerce platforms.

On Thursday 2nd March, industry experts will be brought together to discuss the year ahead ‘Surviving or thriving? Online sales for food and drink in 2023’. What is expected from 2023? What hurdles are we facing? Are different sectors facing different trials? How have B2C trends changed? What can we do to support one another? AND, what’s going to be brilliant?!

This will be an exclusive in person event, an opportunity to network with others and lunch will be provided.

We will share the outcomes as a report to all, the thought leadership, confidence, opportunities and outlook offered, we hope, will start to answer the original question – is this a year to ‘Survive or are there opportunities to thrive’.

To secure your exclusive position at our round table event, please contact Clair on 07398 726 763 or email on [email protected].

We are delighted to have been announced as winner in the category ‘Employer of The Year’ at the South West Business & Community Awards!

There are so many incredible businesses in the South West and it was an honour to be recognised for the work we are doing to look after our team, colleagues and working family. From the gender balance of our board to the wellbeing support offered to all employees, we try to do things the right way. Our business success is down to the people who work for us and with us and this award is for the whole team at Webselect who work with respect, integrity, passion and humanity.

The 2022 Employer of The Year award, recognises businesses who create outstanding workplaces for their teams and are committed to supporting and motivating their teams.

This award recognises the environment and culture we have collectively built to support the fantastic teams at Webselect and Nice Group (SW) Ltd and the brilliant work they do for our clients, including amazing brands like DCUK – The Original Wooden Duck Company, Kernowcraft Rocks and Gems Ltd, Kettlewell Colours, Exeter Chiefs, So Simply Robell, Ickle Bubba, Celtic & Co., Frugi, Weird Fish Clothing, HS Walsh & Sons, The Cheese Shed, Avon Bulbs and many more!

The Webselect team are masters at eCommerce, and turning a good eCommerce site into a great eCommerce site is exactly what we do.

Our latest client,is a leading supplier of tools, equipment, clock and watch materials to the jewellery and horological trades. Since our work with them began, and in under a month after their new eCommerce site had gone live, they have seen a significant increase in their conversion rate of customers. 143.35% to be exact! This is tangible proof of our expertise in eCommerce and testament to the time we take to truly understand what our clients are selling and which buyers they are trying to communicate with. It’s never a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach, and we are well respected in our industry for achieving results like this for online brands and retailers.

What was the problem?

Our client approached us after deciding that their online sales were not performing as well as they could be; the site was old and they wanted to accelerate their online growth. Being very well-known in the industry as a B2B retailer, the potential was there. Sales from their retail outlets in London and Birmingham were performing well, but something was missing from their online offer.

How did we approach it?

We started by investigating the client’s old site, looking for anything that we could enhance or redesign as a first step, as it’s not always appropriate to tear everything up and start again from scratch. Something that we were quick to discover was that their Google Analytics had been set up incorrectly, and was not accurate for all their products, meaning that the sales team did not get the right data to understand the market (strike 1).

We also concluded that the User Experience (UX) was clunky, too focused on lists of products and prices and didn’t sell the story behind the heritage, experience and quality of service (strike 2).

From a back-end perspective, the management of stock, stock levels and availability was broken, workflow was manual and products were potentially available online when not in stock, creating a backorder nightmare. Worst of all, there were products that were showing as not available online, when there was in fact stock (strike 3).

The client has a mature discounting policy for trade, and this was not being managed well in the old site. Discounts were being inconsistently applied, requiring manual over-writing and adding to the overhead of the site management and costing the client money, as well as being a hit to the reputation and revenue (strike 4).

The processing of orders was also taking too long, impacting the customer’s experience of fulfilment (strike 5).

So what to do?

We reported back these findings to the client, and talked through the options with them. Our primary recommendation for the best course of action was to rebuild the site and migrate all the data. It was a simple business case for the client of good money after bad versus a new platform and site that is optimised for the latest technology, that would represent a very positive ROI. We transitioned the client on to our SelectCommerce platform, as a basis for building their website, which empowered them with a working outline of the website very quickly, without causing any impact to the operation. This also allowed them to streamline their back office processes and get to grips with how to use the very intuitive CMS quickly.

The Outcome for the client

The primary reason for an increase in conversion rate, we suspect, is down to the new site’s design and usability (UX). With the previous site, there was very little interaction with the customer; the website simply displayed the products and asked visitors to pay for the items. This gave the site a very ‘cold’ feel to the customer. Now, on their new site, customers have access to blog content, videos, and a method of contact, all of which offer interaction and bring the site to life by giving it its own personality, telling the story and building credibility and community. This helps the customers to build rapport with the website, and the company in turn, by allowing visitors to discover more about the company and navigate their story behind the store, which is an integral part of e-commerce in this current age.

Using our powerful SelectCommerce platform, stock management, page building, product categorisation, integrations with payment providers, fulfilment and finance systems are now all standard. We eliminated some of the manual processing issues in the back office, saving money, time and also reducing variation in customer experience. In addition, we built a bespoke discounting management system to accommodate the legacy discount model. It is consistent, easy to manage and works every time.

Also, changes such as using HTML5 and optimising the site for mobile has helped with shoppers across different devices. As mentioned earlier, the old site’s Google Analytics had not been set up correctly, and as a result of this most, but not all, purchases were being captured. This, in turn, caused a slight miss-representation of the stats from their old site’s conversion rate. The reports from Google Analytics, only 4 weeks after the launch of their new site on SelectCommerce, compared to the previous month, had increased by over 140%!

So what?

What’s the story here? Is it a story of ‘client had a problem and now has a better website’? Or is this a story about how the client was able to work with us, as their digital partner agency, to honestly and openly discover the problems, limitations and opportunities to accelerate their online sales? Hint; it’s the latter.

The client knew that there was a problem, but did not know what the problems were. It requires trust to work with an agency and believe what they are telling you, but we built that trust and were always looking for reasons for them to save money, or at the very least spend their money wisely on solutions and a platform that would provide a ROI quickly. Additionally, it’s not always about the software, we took the time to look at the whole workflow and codify what we could to improve the quality of data, information and therefore controls on the business.

Is your eCommerce site performing as you want it to? Are you looking to accelerate your online sales and spend your money wisely on a solution that will return on investment? Are you getting the maximum levels of conversion from your online customers?

If you are unsure or need a second opinion, talk to us. It’s all about being honest, and we are definitely that.

You can chat to us by calling: 0208 066 1000

Or email us at: [email protected]