In the past, niche brands had to fight for any inch of shelf space they could claim at grocery stores. Over the last few years, however, 42% of consumers say they have made better plans to achieve long-term health. This new attention to healthy food, or functional food, made way for the growth of gourmet and organic grocers like Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and Fresh Market. That helped to boost name recognition for many niche brands, but it didn’t offer a slam dunk.

While niche brand still had to struggle for shelf space in brick-and-mortar stores, that brand recognition helped them launch online outlets and DTC services. Fast forward to 2020 and 2021, and niche brands are finally finding a solid footing in the grocery ecommerce world. In fact, some niche food and beverage brands are absolutely killing it online.

Functional Food

Let’s start with functional food, since this is the latest trend in niche brands. The Mayo Clinic defines functional foods as those that “have a potentially positive effect on health beyond basic nutrition.” These are foods that brands would tout as promoting optimal health or potentially reducing risks for disease. So, not your Mama’s health food.

While definitely a newer trend, functional food brands are already gaining big notice with online shoppers. Here are three that impressed us with their understanding of how to sell food online.

Soylent

If you visit the site, you’ll see it’s beautifully organized, making shopping easy for even the newest customers. Updated, stylish websites are an absolute must for emerging and niche brands, with responsive design for mobile shopping.

Next, two offers are immediately available to draw in new buyers: free shipping and a 10% discount. A good offer is a great way to nudge a buyer from consideration stage into a decision.

While on the website here, we get the first glimpse of their social media. Soylent has their Instagram featured on the main page, giving immediate social proof. Making choices is easier for your buyers when they can see that other consumers love your brand.

Finally, we focus on the content, which is plentiful. Soylent shares educational information including science and research for the skeptical buyer, and some good storytelling for those who are more likely to follow their emotions when making a decision.

Laird Superfood

Laird Superfood does several things very well, too. Upon arrival to the site, customers can immediately see discount offers to help them make decisions. It’s a tried and true method, so we’ll see several of the brands on this list make the same move. Laird Superfood also does several other ecommerce marketing tactics very well.

First, they offer a subscription model. Any DTC enthusiast realizes that the subscription model is where direct-to-consumer was born. But Laird Superfood doesn’t simply offer one option or none. Instead, they provide the ability to fully customize your monthly delivery.

Next, they offer a loyalty program, which gives them the opportunity to keep their most frequent buyers coming back again and again. Not only do they manage their own program—which keeps the attention fully on Laird Superfood and not a third-party provider—but they offer rewards that are truly appealing to fans of the brand. Buyers also have several ways to earn points, including reviews and social media follows, which only serves to further boost the brand’s exposure.

Also, there are helpful recipes, which could be a big factor for new buyers who aren’t sure how to incorporate functional foods into their new diet. There is at least one recipe for each product on the site, with many products featured several times.

Daily Harvest

Quick, easy meals are important to Millennials and Generation Z. If those meals are also healthy, then an emerging brand has a winner on their hands. This is the case with Daily Harvest, which provides options for every meal—and every part of that meal, including dessert. Smoothies, harvest bowls, flatbreads, soups, and even ice cream are delivered frozen and ready to prepare within minutes. Why are they winning the online game? Let’s take a look.

In addition to reviews about the brand as a whole, every meal on their website also includes several reviews. This gives buyers an in-depth look at every option with all the facts before they make decisions.

They also have a powerful retargeting strategy. Within minutes of visiting their website, an ad landed in our Instagram feed. Buyers who might be on the fence, or who had to navigate away for life/work reasons, can be quickly reminded about their intention to purchase with this kind of attention to retargeting.

Sweet Treats

Health isn’t the only thing on consumers’ minds right now. People are also looking for a little bit of pampering, and they’ll indulge themselves with sweets if the calorie count, flavor, price, and marketing is right. Take a look at these niche sweets that have really captured consumers’ attention.

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams

Okay, let’s be honest. How hard is it to sell ice cream? The true difficulty is delivering throughout the US while the product is still frozen, but Jeni’s has mastered the process. The journey starts on their website.

Upon arrival, shoppers are greeted with a pop-up that immediately makes them feel at home. After all, they’re offered insider information right away. There’s nothing like inclusion to make buyers feel warm and fuzzy.

Now, let’s talk about something that’s not exactly digital. The flavors. Jeni’s ice cream flavors are what really sets this brand apart from the usual store-bought brands and makes it a true niche food. Millennials and Generation Z are adventurous eaters, and even Generation X is looking for a change of pace from the ordinary. Yes, even with ice cream. Jeni’s has them all covered.

Bon Bon Bon

Up next in the name of treating ourselves is Bon Bon Bon, which, as the name suggests, sells bonbons. Take a look at this welcome screen upon arrival to the website. Notice the language that compels a casual visitor to make an impulse buy.

Even their blog, which is a must even for retail and ecommerce food brands, looks delicious. Keep in mind as you check out the flavors featured what Millennials and Gen Z are looking for with their foods, too: adventure.

Olive and Sinclair

Are you hungry yet? We’re wrapping up part one of this blog with a real treat. Olive and Sinclair chocolates absolutely speak to that adventurous eater inside every Millennial and Gen Z’er, but they also have plenty of classic flavors to appeal to every other generation, too. That’s just one reason this artisan chocolatier has experienced steady growth over the past several years. Just take a look at the flavors:

Yes, that’s candied lemon chocolate, bourbon cacao nib brittle, and duck fat caramels, all from the same place. And this is just a small selection.

Another thing Olive and Sinclair does very well is SEO. A quick Google search for “craft chocolate” bring them up second in search results—but they’re the first chocolatier to list. The first result is an aggregate list of several chocolatiers, which puts Olive and Sinclair ahead of the competition with their SEO strategy.

There you have it: the six niche food brands that are making huge strides with online sales. Next time, we’ll tackle the beverages, which bring their own set of challenges, especially when alcohol is involved. Somehow, they’re still racking up ecommerce sales, and we’ll explore why and how they’re experiencing such success.

In the meantime, if you’d like assistance with how to sell food online, especially in the functional food or artisan space, give us a call. We’re here to help.