Silver Hills launches direct-to-consumer site
Silver Hills is going directly to consumers’ doors with a new e-commerce platform, The Oven Door.
The Abbotsford, B.C.-based bakery, which focuses on wholesome, plant-based, non-GMO products, is now offering delivery throughout the United States.
The Oven Door offers top sellers from Silver Hill’s family of brands, including Silver Hills Sprouted Bakery sprouted bread; Little Northern Bakehouse gluten-free bread; One Degree Organics oats, granolas and cereals; and Carbonaut low-carb breads. Most items come in packs of four or eight, and shipping is free on all orders.
The idea was to “meet consumers where they are” and help Silver Hills expand its reach, says Danny Houghton, chief customer officer at Silver Hills. While consumers have looked to the convenience of online grocery shopping for a number of years, Houghton notes the COVID-19 pandemic led to a major shift toward e-commerce.
For example, the company noted that online grocery spending increased 133% from 2019 to 2020, according to 1010 Data's State of Grocery Report. Mintel predicts online grocery will continue to experience steady, long-term growth, forecasted to reach $137.6 billion in total U.S. online sales by 2025.
“Just recently, Nielsen put out a study that noted more than 50% of Canadians are ready to start buying food via e-commerce on a regular basis,” says Houghton. “I’m sure this is a result of the COVID challenges that we’ve all gone through and people not wanting to go in the stores so much, but there has been a major shift in consumers’ overall behaviour. People are willing to think more in this vein, now that they’ve seen it and experienced it. We see that as a very positive thing.”
Houghton says Silver Hills laid the groundwork for its direct-to-consumer strategy back in late 2018, and had been working on national supply chain solutions that can handle perishable goods with two-day shipping.
Silver Hills is still working on a solution for Canada, which Houghton says was more challenging given the country’s geography and population density. It expects to launch Oven Door in Canada by the end of this year.
