Digitization can be a very important development engine for small and medium-sized companies active in the food and wine sector. Here's why
Italy, the country of saints, poets and navigators. And, lately, also of farmers and breeders. Many young people, but not only, have decided to abandon studies and various professions in order to go back to the fields, dedicating themselves to agriculture and breeding.
In this way, the whole enogastronomical sector, one of the most active and lively of the Italian economic panorama, has faced new market niches, favoring the birth of many micro and small companies along the whole national territory. Territoriality, which represents a strong point on the production side, can, however, limit the possibilities of growth of those activities which, despite being able to count on products of excellence, are not able to enter national or international markets. The digitization of SMEs, from this point of view, can bring benefits that are anything but secondary: the creation of an e-commerce, for example, will allow you to expand the circle of your buyers.
SME digitization, the road to success
As shown by the study conducted by the research institute IDC and commissioned by SAP, small and medium-sized enterprises that initiate a process of digital transformation would find benefits in sales, employee productivity, access to information and customer relations. The correlation is also demonstrated by the Netcomm report on e-commerce results during the holiday season. Also in this case, SMEs with an online store were able to increase their sales, with improvements compared to Christmas 2015 of even 50%.
E-commerce SMEs, growth opportunities for food and wine
And it is the food and wine sector, in particular, that could enjoy the greatest benefits. This is demonstrated by the case of the portal lorenzovinci.it, which has allowed more than 400 producers all over Italy (for a total of 50 thousand products) to find a digital showcase thanks to which they can reach the tables of all Italians. Thanks to the portal, enogastronomic SMEs can undertake the path of digitalization at more than accessible costs, being able to count on a team of experts ready to help them and on an e-commerce portal able to attract thousands and thousands of visitors every month. "In Italy, high quality production is represented by small and medium enterprises - says Walfredo Della Gherardesca, one of the two founders of the portal - which are those same realities that, for lack of skills and funds, are unable to fully exploit the potential of online. We are therefore working to open digital sales channels to these small companies of excellence".