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

Abstract

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.

The transition of small Spanish wineries toward multi-channel distribution

“…In this context, winemakers are challenged to understand the distribution through multiple available channels and to consider the advantages and risks of implementing a multi-channel strategy (Gurau and Duquesnois, 2008). Small wineries could benefit from integrating online channels with more traditional offline channels (Fiore, 2016;Galati et al, 2016). Online channels provide a solution for small winemakers to reach new market segments, establish valuable relationships with customers, and increase word-of-mouth (Louvieris et al, 2003).…”

“…However, very few papers have focused on ambidexterity in distribution channels (Oh et al, 2012) and even less attention has been paid to the role of ambidexterity in the advancement of multi-channel strategies. In the wine sector there are studies that analyze the benefits of multi-channel distribution (Fiore, 2016;Galati et al, 2016;Gurau and Duquesnois, 2008) or the role of innovation propensity in the implementation of online channels (Casali et al, 2018). Researchers conclude that winemakers need to re-structure their strategic management practices to face the challenges of multi-channel distribution (Casali et al, 2018;Gilinsky et al, 2018).…”

Differentiation strategies for the wine and nursery sector: empirical evidence from an Italy region

“…In the wine sector, innovation processes focused mainly on promotion and marketing methods (Fiore 2016). Very often these two aspects are used in a coordinated way to sell products and structured trade policies (Dries et al 2014).…”

“…Although the wine industry is not considered as characterized by a high presence of innovation (Fiore 2016), many wineries regularly develop their product, processes, and policies useful through innovative strategies, most of the time unconsciously, in order to procure a satisfactory answer to their market needs. In the wine sector, innovation processes focused mainly on promotion and marketing methods (Fiore 2016).…”

Influencia de la experiencia de compra en el valor de marca del comercio detallista: Una aplicación al comercio de la Comunidad Valenciana

“…En el participan empresas tan renombradas, además de las señaladas, como Mary Kay (3.700 millones de dólares) en cosmética, o Tupperware (2.280 millones de dólares) en productos de almacenaje para el hogar, entre otras. Como señala Fiore (2016), la venta directa puede ser considerada como clave en determinados sectores para conseguir el crecimiento de las empresas, así como para lograr una ventaja competitiva.…”