STORY: Puratos and Bakeronline offer free web shops for bakeries
Puratos, the international manufacturer of ingredients for the bakery, patisserie and chocolate sectors, and Bakeronline, a promising Belgian start-up, have joined forces to help businesses increase service to customers while facing the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak.
As social distancing continues, solutions that allow bakers to respect government lockdowns and social distancing are essential to the industry. Starting today, Puratos UK and Bakeronline are enabling businesses to launch their own online web shop platform for free*. This supports government efforts to fight the spread of the virus while helping customers to continue accessing their favourite bakery products as easily and safely as possible.
Addressing a challenging situation for bakers
The Covid-19 crisis has presented a challenging situation for bakers. Following government recommendations to reduce gatherings and implement social distancing to fight the virus, access to stores has been severely restricted. This means bakeries are working with limited resources, adapting their usual processes and strengthening their hygiene criteria.
In order to comply with official recommendations, customers are looking for new ways to order, pay online and spend less time in store. Consumers have become more used to online shopping and the increase in online activity is set to remain post Covid – 19, this has opened up new opportunities for the ‘high street baker’. Puratos and Bakeronline are offering their support to bakeries interested in setting-up a web shop, which can often be a complicated and time-consuming process.
Bakeronline, an online shop, one click away
Puratos and Bakeronline are committed to helping businesses in these difficult times. Bakeronline is a tool that allows bakeries to create personalised web shops where customers can easily place orders. Through Bakeronline, customers receive an overview of the available products, clear product descriptions, as well as allergen information. Once they’ve confirmed their selection, customers can then pay online and choose when to pick-up their order, or possibly have it delivered.
In addition to customers being able to order 24/7, online ordering will make it easier for bakeries to manage their orders and respond to demand.
Furthermore, customers will not need to queue; upon arrival at the bakery, customers will show their order number and collect their goods in a timely manner. All payments can be managed digitally on the platform which will also help maintain hygiene measures and social distancing.
We can build web shops. Free*. Fast. No strings attached.
In order to support bakeries as soon as possible, starting this week Puratos UK’s Bakeronline digital experts are helping bakeries create their web shops for free.
What does this mean for you, the baker?
- Your own webpage in 72 hours** with your branding and imagery
- Up to 20 products listed online
- Easy payment online
- You control all the detail
- E-mail system enabling you to directly contact your customers
- Increased visibility online and help with SEO
- 3 months FREE*
- Insight that helps to plan production
- Delivery ‘options’
- Tips on how to promote the web shop online and in-store
Bakeronline is currently available in UK, Belgium, France, Spain, The Netherlands, and Germany, but Puratos and Bakeronline are extending their help to bakeries across the globe. They urge bakeries in other countries to contact them to find a way forward.
Next steps
Bakeries who want to launch a web shop should reach out to Puratos and Bakeronline by e-mailing [email protected] and include Bakeronline in the subject line.
Puratos and Bakeronline are committed to supporting their users and customers during this challenging time and are continuing to scale their infrastructure to support increasing Bakeronline demand, ensuring streamlined, reliable access to the service.
A demo site can viewed here https://bakeronline.uk/gb-en/bakery-demo-scotland
