Top 3 Trends Shaping the E-Commerce F&B Cold Chain Industry 

Regional players like Carrefour, Spinneys, and Union Co-operative have embraced the e-commerce trend, establishing their own delivery channels, especially in the grocery store and convenience store categories. This shift in consumer preference has created a ripple effect in the retail supply chain. 

For 3PLs, many are now required to deliver within hours instead of days or weeks. This has led to a rise in retail standards around velocity and on-time movement of goods, particularly perishables where time is critical. 3PLs are also adapting their service offerings, whether repacking larger cartons into smaller packages, offering promotional labeling, or integrating advanced shipping software for ecommerce. 

As for warehouse and fulfillment design, the proliferation in food and beverage for fresh food, gluten-free, and farm-to-table preferences impacts warehouse operations. As the number of SKUs increases, it affects the profile of orders and increases the number of lines. Greater precision is required in how warehouse capacity is used to manage an expanding product line. 

These fulfillment needs translate into new requirements for technology in terms of visibility and traceability to handle the complexities. Advanced ecommerce global solutions are necessary to manage these evolving demands efficiently.