“2020 really hit us hard when we had to shut down our coffee shops. We lost about 60% of our revenue” Hannah Ulbrich, the owner of Copper Door in Denver said, “We’ve slowly been able to rebuild that, but eCommerce went well above what we expecting, and that’s actually were Alibaba.com came in”.

Hannah Ulbrich is among the many brick-and-mortar business owners who took a heavy hit when the Pandemic happened, wiping out almost the entire foot traffic and shutting down wholesale channels as well. Fortunately, their grit and flexibility to turn go digital in order to stay afloat has paid off. Hannah started using Alibaba.com in 2020 when the supply chain disrupted. Online sourcing seamless fulfilled her needs.

The pandemic dramatically accelerated the rapid expansion of digital technology, and transformed how industries across the board operate. From billing and payment systems, to information management and storage, from managing customer relationships, to keeping employees stay connected and motivated, business owners and operators who are successfully adopting these new tools and technologies have seen the opportunity to gain more efficiencies, and achieve new levels of growth and profitability.

While all sectors of the worldwide economy were disrupted by the pandemic in one way or another, the Food and Beverage industry was among the most severely impacted. As the pandemic has hindered traditional sales channels, food and beverage companies have turned to e-commerce and online tradeshows that are offering access to more markets and global suppliers, greater operational flexibility, and the resilience to survive and thrive during challenging times.

In fact, “71% of 2,500 SMBs credit getting online as the reason they survived the pandemic…even as simple as restaurants adopting QR code menus to up efficiency while easing labor burdens.”

In addition, e-commerce and online trade shows also prove to be more efficient way with zero business travel expense. It becomes a natural choice for many industry experts. Dale Harris, the World Barista Champion, has found the experience of looking for new supplies on Alibaba.com quite “refreshing”. He said: “if I was looking for an amazing coffee to share, I would first start with those Arabica Coffee on Alibaba.com, and add Single Origin Roasted and Ethiopia to refine my choice because I prefer tasting where a coffee came from.”

Alibaba.com is providing business owners and procurement managers with more possibilities of supplies when international travelling is still under some restrictions. It has been hosting a series of online trade shows that have resulted in tens of thousands of new connections. For example, in December 2021, Alibaba.com hosted an online trade show, the Global Food and Beverage Selection, that featured 1,600 exhibitors from all over the world, showcasing over 282,000 food and beverage products. Many exhibitors felt that the procurement orders they have received, including those from countries halfway across the world, would have been next to impossible to achieve at an offline event.

Alibaba.com’s largest online event in the first half, March Expo 2022, is a month-long online trade event that connects millions of buyers and suppliers around the world in 200+ countries and regions. It is set-up to drive even more food and beverage sector connections by giving buyers access to an unmatched array of suppliers to choose from, offering competitive prices at different MOQs and quality levels, through suppliers from different countries and regions. This allows food and beverage buyers to find exactly what they need, how and when they need it, and at a price that works for them and their business.

How end-to-end sourcing on Alibaba.com works

You can find everything you need in one place.

• Find products and sellers: Connect with over 230,000 manufacturers, wholesalers, and distributors who can create anything you’re looking for.
• Place and protect your order: Protect your orders for free with Alibaba.com Trade Assurance, our order protection service that ensure your goods are produced as expected and on time.
• Ship and receive your goods: Alibaba.com has partnered with major players in the industry to provide you with reliable and transparent multi-model shipping solutions.