Knowledge Management & Loyalty Programs: A Customer Perception Analysis, the Greek Retail Market

The Food Retail sector in Greece is currently facing a number of challenges. From an economic point of view, the austerity programs imposed in Greece since 2010 resulted in losses of retail sales, alongside with bankruptcies and mergers of retail chains. At the same time, technological development creates an environment for innovation in terms of operations and marketing and offers new opportunities to retailers. Additionally, consumers become more involved and active in the purchasing processes. However, Greek consumers are also experiencing a dramatic decline in their disposable income. The study examines the perception of Greek consumers of several marketing efforts based on Information & Communication Technology Systems (ICT) introduced by a Greek food retailer in Northern Greece. More specifically, it investigates the relationship between ICT related marketing efforts, such as loyalty programs, and analytics regarding food control systems and purchases and consumer characteristics such as gender, age, income, status and family size. The study reveals a number of relationships between marketing efforts and consumer characteristics/segments. However, since the relationships are found to be weak, marketing managers are advised to use advanced analytics systems, such as big data technologies, in order to enhance the efficiency of their marketing strategies and approaches. The weak relationships between the parameters examined indicate that marketing efforts have to focus in several consumer sub segments in order to achieve significant results. The study’s sample population is consumers of one of the top food retailers in Greece. The findings contribute to the literature on the use of ICT on marketing strategies and the use of big data. Furthermore, they have practical implications for marketers in the retail food sector, as they reveal the need for a more focused approach to different consumer groups, in order to increase the efficiency of marketing efforts and to achieve maximum results.     Keywords: knowledge management, loyalty programs, ICT, segmentatio

A paradigm shift for a successful launch of a locally-based start-up in the food supply chain

The aim of this paper is to design a friendly-user framework for a successful launch of a locally-based start-up in the food supply chain.  Specifically, the study is focused on a Small Medium Enterprises (SME’s) cooperative store in a farm school.  The store is operated by the students in the context of their entrepreneurship, business and marketing classes.  Authors made a number of interviews with the managers and employees of the locally-based store so as to identify its potentials and challenges.  The outcome of the study is a framework dealing with managerial, as well as, technological aspects and even if refers to a specific SME it will act as a road map for an effective start-up development.   Keywords: customer loyalty, American farm school, SME co-operatives, agri-busines

The Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives on Rural Community Development: the Case of TITAN – Sharrcem in Kosovo

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become an integral part of firms' strategies in their effort to increase their positive impact on society. This study investigates the impact of a CSR initiative, known as “The LAB Project”, implemented by the TITAN– Sharrcem Company, on the rural community of Hani I Elezit in Kosovo. The LAB project aims to support the establishment and operation of agricultural and food-related start-ups and, most importantly, to ensure their sustainability. The sample of the study consists of 174 area residents. This research examines local residents' perceptions about a) the TITAN-Sharrcem operations in the area, b) the LAB project's main contribution to the local community,  c) the project's overall performance, d)  the profitability of the start-ups created by the project, and e)  the project's effect on the community's quality of life. Overall, the results reveal that the project has set the foundation for the community's sustainable development. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first research on the effect of such initiatives in the region. Keywords: Corporate Social Responsibility, Rural Entrepreneurship, Community Developmen