Internet as a Sales Channel for the Agri-Food Sector
The Spanish market for organic products is notable for a supply side that offers one of the largest ranges in the world and a demand side that can only be termed symbolic. The reasons that have been given for this situation include the few and scattered points of sale, higher prices than for the conventional equivalents, and the consumers' disinformation about this product range. The Internet offers solutions to these barriers that some companies have used to facilitate online transactions in organic products. The case study presented in this chapter focuses on examining a virtual platform managed by an intermediary, not a producer, which puts producers and consumers of organic products in direct contact with each other. Making use of the Internet's advantages as a sales channel, developing a differentiation strategy based on promoting values such as the environment and sustainability, and the company's mutualist relationship with its small-scale suppliers have generated an associate and customer base that ensures the success of this business model.