E-Commerce and Sales Management in Agribusiness

Abstract

The digitization trend is changing processes in the agricultural sector and affects all players in the agricultural value chain equally. At present, especially the digital development of agricultural trade is being driven forward at full speed by a wide range of providers. In this context, questions about changes of the agricultural purchasing behavior and the implications for agricultural trade structures are currently much in the spotlight. This dissertation therefore considers the role of e-commerce and sales management within the agricultural input industry as a significant part of agribusiness. In addition to online the sales channel, personal selling, as an offline sales channel, is also examined.The articles presented here demonstrate that e-commerce as a procurement channel for agricultural inputs is well-accepted overall but to different degrees, and that regular online purchasing is limited to only certain, well-standardized, inputs. A fundamental interest of the agricultural sector in e-commerce can be confirmed and suggests that e-commerce in agriculture enjoys significant potential which has not yet been utilized.Online purchasing is strongly influenced by the perceived benefits associated with e-commerce, which, however, vary significantly among farmers. On the other hand, distrust of online commerce as well as relationships and loyalty to local retailers have a negative effect on farmers' e-commerce adoption. The results also illustrate that there are different groups of farmers, who differ in terms of their e-commerce attitudes and shopping behaviors.A significant portion of agricultural customers appears to be mentally not ready for online retailing, while another part is already particularly open-minded towards digital distribution channels. As common in B2B, farmers' attitudes toward e-commerce are strongly influenced by cognitive factors, although affective components should not be dismissed, either. Accordingly, companies in the agricultural input industry are called upon to tailor their sales and marketing strategies to the needs of their individual customer groups. Even though stationary trade has emerged as the benchmark of e-commerce within this dissertation, particularly due to personal contact opportunities, companies should adapt their business models and integrate digital sales channels as part of a multi-, to omnichannel strategy in order to be able to satisfactorily serve their digital customers of tomorrow.However, from the company's point of view, factors such as product characteristics and traditionally personal sector and company structures as well as a lack of financial resources and human capital act as digitalization brakes. The agricultural sales force in particular is affected Summary by both structural change and digital transformation and is under enormous pressure to adapt.Overall, farmers rate the performance of the agricultural sales force as only satisfactory.Professional competence alone is not enough to convince farmers. Rather, it is the personality and social comp...