As we explore the landscape of e-commerce platforms for food businesses in the United Kingdom, it becomes necessary to analyse platforms like Airmart and Wix in detail. This article aims to deliver a comprehensive comparison of these two platforms, considering their unique strengths and weaknesses in facilitating the sale of home-canned goods.
Airmart
Airmart is an e-commerce platform intentionally designed to cater to the unique needs of food producers. Be it home chefs or cottage bakers, Airmart ensures a seamless business experience for those selling home-canned food.
The platform offers free basic shops, various delivery options feature including local delivery and shipping, and even the choice of food subscriptions. Airmart also allows users to customize their shops with their own unique domain name. The process is straightforward, enabling vendors to kick start their pre-orders within a day.
Pros
– There are no setup costs for opening a basic shop.
– The shop setup process is quick and easy, with no coding expertise required.
– Offers various options including local delivery, shipping and food subscriptions.
– Integrated SEO tools to enhance online visibility.
– Provides sellers with a unique URL for their shop.
Cons
– Transaction fees are applicable
– The advanced features are only accessible through a paid subscription.
Wix
Wix serves as an excellent platform for dropshipping businesses. It offers a robust dropshipping website builder along with access to a vast product marketplace. Vendors can process orders, obtain tracking numbers from suppliers and remain updated on the status, all from their Wix dashboard.
Furthermore, Wix supports multiple sales channels such as Amazon, Facebook, Instagram, eBay, and more. The platform also includes automated emails and chat messages for site visitors.
Pros
– Provides site chat feature on all e-commerce plans.
– 24/7 customer care support.
– A wide range of e-commerce website templates that are mobile-friendly and customizable.
Cons
– Advanced shipping features require a higher plan
– It’s not possible to change to a different template without starting over
– No free e-commerce plan.
In conclusion, both Airmart and Wix offer robust platforms for starting a food business in the UK. They both come with unique offerings tailored for different types of businesses. Airmart stands as a more food vendor-focused platform, offering unique features like food subscriptions and the sale of home-canned foods. Wix, on the other hand, stands as an excellent platform for a dropshipping business model with multi-channel support.
Regardless of the choice between Airmart and Wix, it’s heartening to note that starting a business selling home canned food on the e-commerce platform is a potential-filled venture, worthy of exploration.