The FFW functions as a directory, advertising platform, and an online marketplace. People can choose which functionalities of the FFW they want to use, according to their needs.
- A Profile.
A profile on the FFW is the simplest option, and offers a way for producers to market themselves. The profile can be used to promote your products and services, share your story and provide contact details. A profile makes you visible and contactable to customers and other enterprises who might wish to trade with you. Producers with a profile can also add products, which farmers markets can then stock in their stores.
- A Shopfront
An FFW shop, is like a profile, but it also includes all the functions needed for producers to sell directly to customers online. This includes the online shopfront with full checkout capabilities as well as behind the scenes tools to aid in administration, such as reporting of payments and inventory. The FFW is a network, so it allows shops to be connected with other shops. This way a producer can be stocking their products in their own independent store, as well as through a number of farmers markets.
The FFW can help farmers access a greater diversity of markets. This can be through direct sales, or through intermediary farmers markets or retailers, who perform the sales and logistics functions. The FFW enables transparency in the supply chain. Because all food traded on the FFW must be linked to the farmer who produced it, customers can see where their food originated from and how it was produced. In FFW shopfronts, the pricing is also transparent, so customers can see what cut of the sale price went to the producer. Our ultimate goal is fair price to farmers and affordable, good food for eaters.
We think the FFW is pretty great, and unique to other options out there!
- Networked- The FFW differs from private online shops in that they can be networked with other enterprises. Producers have the option of selling through their own, independently run store, but they can also choose to sell through another enterprise. Farmers markets stock the produce of multiple producers and offer them more exposure and greater market access than they can achieve on their own.
- Exposure- The FFW has a directory functionality, so customers landing on our homepage may be driven to your store if your offerings match their search terms, or if you’re located close by to them. The FFW is a centralized place for people looking to access great, local produce, giving participating producers exposure to a wider customer base.
- Food enterprise specific- The FFW’s shopfront capabilities are also designed especially for food enterprises, so it saves you from having to develop your own software from scratch (which can be a lengthy and costly process, trust us!).
- Flexible- The FFW is flexible in accommodating all kinds of shipping/collection and payment methods. Some online store offerings for producers are restricted in the kinds of shipping and payment methods that can be accepted (for example, limited strictly to postage).
- Room to grow- Producers can start with a profile, and easily build up to start selling to others, opening their own online store and becoming a supplier to multiple enterprises. Once you have a profile, you can easily open your own store, and link with other stores, something that most software options cannot offer.
Producers can create a professional and affordable online shop on the FFW, and begin trading direct with customers. An online store is simple to set up, taking just a few hours (check out the set-up guide feature list). As well as the shopfront, an online shop also comes with handy tools which streamline the administration side of operating an online store.
I'm thinking of setting up an online store to sell my products which I usually sell through farmers markets, would the FFW be suitable?
A FFW online store is a good addition for producers who are already doing direct sales through farmers markets. The online store enables customers to order in advance, for a quick pick up at the market, and to access your products outside of market times. Some producers also find that the online store is preferable for hospitality customers who cannot attend markets.
The FFW aims to facilitate producers and farmers markets working together and forming networks of food movement and trade. We encourage producers to search for farmers markets in their area (on the FFW map) who could be compatible trading partners (check out their profiles).
To supply a farmers market, the producer must have a profile on the FFW and add their products to that profile. They must also make contact with the farmers market they wish to supply to discuss the agreement. If the farmers market is willing to stock the products, you can grant the farmers market permission to stock your products in the FFW E2E permissions. The farmers market can then add your products to their FFW shop front and start selling them!
I'm already selling my products directly to customers via an online shop, how can I get involved with the FFW?
You can create a profile on the FFW which links to your existing store. This will raise the visibility of your farm and allows you to connect with the audience on the FFW.
Check out our feature list page, which describes the full functionalities of an FFW shopfront. Our functions and pricing are competitive, so perhaps you’d consider switching to an FFW store, and being part of the FFW movement.
We have infrequent and unpredictable surplus stock which we'd like to sell, how could we do this through the FFW?
Producers with an FFW profile can add products, which farmers markets can then sell through their FFW shopfronts. If you have irregular surplus stock, you can talk to farmers markets to arrange for them to stock your produce when you have it on hand.
We deliver weekly vegie boxes to customers and our orders are currently placed by email. Would the FFW be suitable for us?
Yes! With an online store, customers can place their order for your veggie box online. This makes it easier for the customer, and also for you. The reporting functionality of the FFW makes the administration tasks of running a store straightforward, by helping you to track orders, payment and inventory. You can easily view reports summarizing the total orders, individual orders and the payment status of each order.
Our farmer's market is considering setting up an online platform to allow our customers to shop from our producers outside of market day. How could we use the FFW to do this?
There are a number of potential paths you could take:
- Each farmer within the farmers market can establish their own profile and online shop on the FFW. The farmers market’s website could then promote links to these independently run shops.
- The farmer’s markets could create a **group page **on the FFW. This is an umbrella profile, which can house the profiles and stores of member producers. With a unique URL and landing page, this group site allows for collective marketing and promotions.
- Farmer’s market groups who are willing to cooperate and work together can establish a farmers market. This farmers market has a single shopfront offering the entire product range of participating producers. Finding a way to coordinate the logistics of incoming and outgoing products can require some creative thinking, but using the farmer’s market days as a chance to aggregate and pack orders is one simple option.
An online store allows producers to sell their produce to customers and collect payment via a number of options. The FFW doesn’t dictate a payment method, and you can use any arrangement that works for you. Enterprises can also use manual methods including invoicing, cash on collection and direct deposit.
Yes, FFW store operators will receive an email each time an order is placed. Additionally, a number of different reports regarding sales are downloadable from your store. This includes reports on unique orders, reports summarizing a collection of orders, reports on inventory levels and customer relationship management reports. Check out our set-up guide for more info on reports.
Yes, you can select the order that each category of food is displayed in your shop, then within each category the products are displayed alphabetically. For instance, if Meat and Fish are your most important products, you can select to have them show up first, with your secondary Oil and Spreads products below. You can do this in your profile settings, under ‘shopfront category ordering’.
Here’s a few things to check:
- Has the product been added to the order cycle? Open the order cycle and double check that all tick boxes next to your products have been selected.
- Is there enough ‘on hand’ inventory? If the ‘on hand’ inventory value is zero for a product, then it will no longer appear in your store. If you have products which are always ‘on hand’, you can check the ‘on demand’ box corresponding to that product- then it will never be out of stock.
- Is the product on your Inventory Hidden list?
I only want my existing customers to see and be able to shop in my shop, can I make my shop 'member only'?
Yes, you can restrict access to your shop to approved customers only.
The filter tool on the producer listing page allows customers to search for producers of certain product categories (i.e. Fruit, or Meat). The filter tool works by looking at the products that are assigned to each producer’s profile. If a producer has an online shop, their products will already be in the system. But if you only have a profile, this filter tool won’t capture you, until you add some dummy products. Once you have dummy products set up for the product categories that you produce, you’ll be captured by this filter tool.
How can I tell my customers about how my shop works? Including my delivery terms and conditions etc?
There is the option of adding a ‘shopfront message’ to your shop. This message is clearly visible to customers when they visit your shop and you can add as much or as little detail here as you like.