Direct selling in the wine sector: lessons from cellars in Italy’s Apulia region

2016 ◽  
Vol 118 (8) ◽  
pp. 1946-1959 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariantonietta Fiore

Purpose – Buying process directly from producers is an expanding trend in advanced economies; then direct sales can be considered a crucial driver in wine sector in order to cope with global challenges and achieve a competitive advantage. The purpose of this paper is to investigate if management aspects and marketing innovation propensity could have an important role in choosing direct sale tool. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative analysis in Apulia region (Italy) was carried out. Data have been collected through a face to face and web-based exploratory survey submitted to a sample of 280 cellars participating in an Integrated Projects of Food Chains. A logit regression model was run in the research design. Findings – Findings showed that most of interviewed wineries, mainly characterized by agricultural production and direct approach to customers, are more likely inclined to direct sales choice. Research limitations/implications – The sample size could be expanded (e.g. to include farms from other regions or not belonging to an integrated projects). Practical implications – Managerial implications give insight on the role of direct sales as an opportunity to obtain aggregated value for agri-products and to increase bargaining power of farmers. Social implications – Food direct sales could have the important task of straightening the social proximity between rural and urban stakeholders, increasing trust and connection between producers and consumers. Originality/value – This paper can shed some light on this topic, since direct food sales across regions is less investigated than direct marketing.

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 100-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eun-Mi Lee ◽  
Serdal Temel ◽  
Cevahir Uzkurt

Purpose Internet shopping is becoming more prevalent and popular in Turkey, one of the fastest growing e-commerce markets in Eastern Europe. The growth of internet usage has focused academic attention on the factors that drive the adoption of internet shopping. The purpose of this study is to investigate how opinion leadership and open processing innovativeness influence internet shopping behavior through the mediating variable of domain-specific innovativeness. Design/methodology/approach The data for this study were collected via face-to-face contact with consumers in Eskisehir. A total of 275 usable responses were obtained. Findings The results reveal that opinion leadership induces positive internet shopping behavior through domain-specific innovativeness, whereas open processing innovativeness has no significant impact. Originality/value The study makes an important contribution by offering theoretical and managerial implications for internet marketers.


2016 ◽  
Vol 118 (7) ◽  
pp. 1665-1681 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steve W. Martinez

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to compare prices for fresh tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and apples at direct-to-consumer sales outlets (e.g. farmers markets, roadside stands, on-farm stores) in the USA to grocery stores and supercenters, while controlling for other attributes. Design/methodology/approach – The author estimates a hedonic regression model to determine price differences at direct sales outlets, grocery stores, and supercenters in various regions and seasons of the year. The analysis is conducted using 2006 Nielsen Homescan data. Other product and market attributes are also considered, along with characteristics of the household sample. Findings – Prices at direct sales outlets are lower than grocery store prices throughout the year and across the USA. Prices at direct sales outlets for some product/location/season combinations were higher than or comparable to supercenter prices. Research limitations/implications – Future research is needed to examine how price differences may vary across the various types of direct marketing outlets. Originality/value – Few studies have examined price differences between direct sales outlets and conventional retail stores. No studies have used nationally representative data to analyze these price differences across produce type, season, and geographic areas.


2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ainur Seitbattalovna Kenebayeva

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate Kazakh rural and urban consumers' preferences for different agritourism experiences. Design/methodology/approach – The empirical study adopts a survey data-based approach relying on a questionnaire data collection technique. Findings – The paper highlights significant differences and similarities in the structure of individual preferences of urban and rural customer segments regarding different agritourism offerings. Research limitations/implications – The research is limited by the sample, which covers only two consumer segments presented in the Kazakhstan context. The paper provides managerial implications for agritourism service providers, who are doing or planning to start entrepreneurial activities in rural areas, marketing researchers focusing on product development, and policy makers working out regional development strategies through implementation of tourism stimulating projects. Originality/value – This study contributes to the advancement of the limited research investigating customer experience theory as applied to agritourism.


2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Pauleen

Purpose Dave Snowden has been an important voice in knowledge management over the years. As the founder and chief scientific officer of Cognitive Edge, a company focused on the development of the theory and practice of social complexity, he offers informative views on the relationship between big data/analytics and KM. Design/methodology/approach A face-to-face interview was held with Dave Snowden in May 2015 in Auckland, New Zealand. Findings According to Snowden, analytics in the form of algorithms are imperfect and can only to a small extent capture the reasoning and analytical capabilities of people. For this reason, while big data/analytics can be useful, they are limited and must be used in conjunction with human knowledge and reasoning. Practical implications Snowden offers his views on big data/analytics and how they can be used effectively in real world situations in combination with human reasoning and input, for example in fields from resource management to individual health care. Originality/value Snowden is an innovative thinker. He combines knowledge and experience from many fields and offers original views and understanding of big data/analytics, knowledge and management.


2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 119-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sue Vaux Halliday ◽  
Alexandra Astafyeva

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to conceptualise millennial cultural consumers (MCCs) to bring together strands of consumer theory with branding theory to consider how to attract and retain younger audiences in arts organisations. Within that the authors single out for attention how “brand community” theory might apply to MCCs. Design/methodology/approach – This paper is a conceptual paper that reviews and comments on concepts relevant to helping arts organisations develop strategies to attract and retain younger consumers in their audiences. Findings – Thoughtful conceptual insights and four research propositions for further work by academics and/or practitioners on Millennials and the art and culture world are derived from this review and commentary. Managerial implications are also drawn out. Originality/value – This paper contributes to the knowledge development of such concepts as value and brand communities. It also provides an explanation of these concepts conncecting academic thought on value with pressing management challenges for arts organisations, suggesting ways to apply brand community thinking to innovatiely conceptualised MCCs.


2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 344-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yujie Wei ◽  
Blaise Bergiel ◽  
Lingfang Song

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the possibility that individual differences in consumer choice of cognac are at least partially influenced by parental cultural capital. Also examined are ten value orientations factors (e.g. hedonism and self-direction) and attitudes toward France, cognac’s country-of-origin that may affect the degree of this intergenerational influence. Design/methodology/approach The survey research measures parents’ cultural capital, value orientations and attitude toward France and purchase intention using recognized scales. Data were collected from the faculty and students of a major university located in the southeast of the USA. The sample size was 234. Findings The results confirm that parental cultural capital, consumer value orientations and attitudes toward France have significant impacts on the consumer’s willingness to purchase cognac. Adult children of high cultural capital parents are more likely to buy cognac. Practical implications The findings of this paper provide meaningful insights into intergenerational influences on consumer purchase intention of cognac and socialization theory. The paper provides several managerial implications for segmentation, targeting and positioning of cognac in the US market. Originality/value As the first of its kind, this paper introduces the parents’ cultural capital into the consumer research regarding cognac. The longer-term effects that parents can have on grown children’s consumer behavior are confirmed, suggesting that parental influence persists well into adulthood and has impact on their brand preference.


2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 218-237
Author(s):  
Erik B. Nes

Purpose – What characterizes the relationships with intermediaries that are soon to be replaced, and are the replacements successful? The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – The study applies a longitudinal design. The paper conducted a survey among a sample of exporters concerning their relationships with independent intermediaries in terms of trust, commitment, communication, control and two performance variables; financial performance and strategic goal achievement. Five years thereafter the author contacted the same companies again and questioned which independent intermediaries had been replaced in the period. The author then compared the replaced intermediaries with the extended intermediaries before they were replaced and analysed changes in the evaluations of the relationships and of the performance after the replacement. Findings – The relationships with terminated intermediaries that were replaced by sales subsidiary or home-based direct sales were characterized having higher trust, communication and control than extended relationships before replacement. While it may be surprising that these quite successful relationships were terminated, this is in line with internationalization process theories. The replacements, both intermediaries that were replaced by other intermediaries and by sales subsidiary/home-based direct sales, were highly successful in terms of improvement in performance and behavioural relationship variables. Research limitations/implications – The empirical findings are limited by the sample and by data collection from the principal only in the dyadic relations. Practical implications – International independent intermediaries should analyse the likelihood of being replaced by the principal because the relationship or the performance is unsatisfactory, but also because of satisfactory evaluations. Terminations of satisfactory relationships tend to be accompanied by change in operation mode to internal organization. The independent intermediary should in such cases build a defence structure against unwanted termination and/or prepare for buyout. The success of the replacements suggests that international marketers benefit from being proactive in replacing intermediaries with new intermediaries or with a hierarchal entry mode. Originality/value – This is the first study that applies most of these variables from interorganizational relations theory in the study of international independent intermediary replacements. It is also the first to give insight into the consequences of intermediary terminations.


2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 438-459
Author(s):  
Matti J. Haverila ◽  
Kai Christian Haverila

Purpose Customer-centric measures such as customer satisfaction and repurchase intent are important indicators of performance. The purpose of this paper is to examine what is the strength and significance of the path coefficients in a customer satisfaction model consisting of various customer-centric measures for different types of ski resort customer (i.e. day, weekend and ski holiday visitors as well as season pass holders) in a ski resort in Canada. Design/methodology/approach The results were analyzed using the partial least squares structural equation modeling approach for the four different types ski resort visitors. Findings There appeared to differences in the strength and significance in the customer satisfaction model relationships for the four types of ski resort visitors indicating that the a priori managerial classification of the ski resort visitors is warranted. Originality/value The research pinpoints differences in the strength and significance in the relationships between customer-centric measures for four different types ski resort visitors, i.e. day, weekend and ski holiday visitors as well as season pass holders, which have significant managerial implications for the marketing practice of the ski resort.


2016 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 336-356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Franklin Amuakwa-Mensah ◽  
Louis Boakye-Yiadom ◽  
William Baah-Boateng

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of education on migration decisions focusing on rural and urban in-migrants by comparing the 2005/2006 and 2012/2013 rounds of the Ghana Living Standards Survey (GLSS5 and GLSS6). After correcting for selectivity bias, the authors observed that anticipated welfare gain and socio-economic variables such as sector of employment, sex, experience, age, educational level and marital status significantly affect an individual’s migration decision. Design/methodology/approach – The authors made use of Sjaastad’s (1962) human capital framework as a basis for examining the impact of education on migration. The migration decision equation was based on the Heckman two stage procedure. Findings – While educational attainment is observed to have a positive effect on migration decision in the period 2005/2006, the authors find a negative effect of educational attainment on migration decision in the period 2012/2013. The effect of educational attainment on migration decision in 2005/2006 for urban in-migrant is higher than the effect for rural in-migrant, with its significance varying for the different stages of educational attainment. In absolute terms, whereas the effect of secondary educational attainment on migration decisions for urban in-migrant is higher than that of rural in-migrant, the reverse holds for higher educational attainment during the period 2012/2013. Social implications – Based on the mixed effect of education on migration decision as evident from the study, policies to enhance the educational system in Ghana should be complemented with job creations in the entire country. Moreover, special attention should be given to the rural sector in such a way that the jobs to be created in the sector do not require skilled workers. With quality education and job creation, the welfare of individuals living in urban and rural areas will be enhanced. Originality/value – In spite of the importance of education in migration decisions, there is scanty literature on the rural-urban dimension. To the best of the author’s knowledge there is no literature in the Ghanaian context which examines the rural and urban perspective of the impact of education on migration with a much recent data. Further, the author consider how the determinants of migration decision have changed over time focusing on rural and urban perspectives.


2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 320-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bénédicte Branchet ◽  
Pierre-Yves Sanseau

Purpose Existing research infers that in the information systems (IS) and information technology (IT) fields, a shift may occur between technical and non-technical skills. However, relatively little research has focused on going changes in terms of key skills in the IS suppliers sector. The purpose of this paper is to address this gap by investigating these skills evolution in the IS suppliers domain and discusses their impacts on IS and IT curricula. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses a qualitative method based on 15 semi-structured face-to-face interviews, with highly dedicated operational managers in senior positions in the field. Findings This study identifies, for the IS suppliers, the critical skills, which are basically non-technical, and peripheral skills, which are primarily technical. It then considers the consequences of this change and the necessary adaptations it requires for businesses and training for this field. Practical implications The findings suggest the need to redesign the educational curricula for future managers, and the adaptations required to the work organization, human resource management and business models of firms in the field. Originality/value The paper’s value is twofold. First, it focuses on IS service suppliers, an understudied area (most research examines IS outsourcing from the customer’s standpoint); second, it reveals the shift away from technical toward non-technical skills in a field that is intrinsically technical – a change that may occur more slowly than in other less technical sectors – and the consequences of this change for firms, education and society.


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