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.

Citation

Fiore, M. (2016), "Direct selling in the wine sector: lessons from cellars in Italy’s Apulia region", British Food Journal, Vol. 118 No. 8, pp. 1946-1959. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-05-2016-0201