P ALABRAS FINALES ( O LO QUE QUEDA POR DELANTE )

Though once an important distribution channel for organic food, health food shops lost this status and are no longer the focus of research. Only one of the analyzed studies concerns this form of distribution. In 2006 Gerlach analyzed the motives for the decision to buy in health food shops, consumer satisfaction and the willingness to change the retailer, using 170 online interviews with organic food consumers. Besides the health food shops, organic food shops were considered traditional ways of distribution of organic food.

4.7.10

Research recommendations of the authors

Few authors made research recommendations for distribution policy. These are summed up in Table 31 and listed according to the distribution channels. Recommendations not made for Germany can be recognized by the abbreviation of the county in brackets.

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Table 31: Research recommendations of the authors on OHC Overlapping

Enlarge sample size and research area

Optimize sampling methods, strive for representative results

In General

Analyze the motives and ethical settings of consumers in buying associations Frequently and occasionally buying consumers as target group

Analyze motives for buying wine (GB)

Conventional food trade

Analyze further groups of organic products (fair trade, regional, premium and convenience products) (B)

More practically oriented research according to Swiss

Analysis of motives and settings of consumers (HR, SLO, BIH)

Direct sales

Analysis of motives and settings of consumers (HR, SLO, BIH) Research on Generation 50+

Direct sales on weekly markets (USA, IR)

Creation of a centralized database for selling wine in combination with conventional data Determinants for membership in the CSA (USA)

Internet

Analyze the effects of new distribution channels and the socioeconomic and ecological ad- vantages and disadvantages

Can the CSA concept be transmitted to longer value chains?

Artisanry

Creation of a centralized database for selling wine in combination with conventional data

Source: Own illustration

No recommendations were made by the authors concerning organic and health food shops.

4.7.11

Research gaps based on knowledge analysis

Based on the analysis of the 64 studies concerning distribution policy and apart from the au- thors‟ recommendations, areas can be identified where little or no research has been made since 2000. These research gaps are: distribution channels, product groups, labeling and actors along the value chain.

Distribution channels that were not analyzed completely or analyzed using poor methods were drugstores, discounters, weekly markets and categories of organic food shops. Drugs- tores increased the assortment of organic food during the last few years, but none of the stu- dies considered that distribution channel. Only Kuhnert et al. (2011) mentioned this distribu- tion channel while looking at the structures of the organic market in Hamburg. The role of discounters for the distribution of organic food is poorly explored. Reuter (2002) looked at a discounter at the time and at the distribution of organic food using a trademark. Other studies mentioning discounters give a general overview of conventional food retailer. As discounters have particular peculiarities, that form of distribution form should be regarded separately. A

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closer inspection is also worthwhile because the traditional target group of discounters is complementary to the traditional buyers of organic food. Weekly markets have not been ana- lyzed in German studies.Two studies took place in the USA and one in Ireland. Organic food shops are generally well explored. But in the case of growing numbers of organic supermar- kets the structure within organic food shops is changing and the individual forms should be regarded separately (organic food shops and organic supermarkets).

Complete analyses of single products are not feasible, in many cases they are also not mea- ningful. Analyses of product groups or of a single product representative of a group seem to be more useful. Several organic products are interesting to look at because of their product specific qualities and technical properties. This mainly refers to meat and other products made of animals, since organic consumption is often correlated with animal welfare and low meat consumption. None of the studies considered the market of organic cheese, or its pro- duction or distribution. Distribution structures of pork were examined by Barhdt et al. (2002b) and Löser and Deereberg (2004). The distribution structures of beef were also examined by Bahrdt et al. (2002a). Schulze et al (2008) explored the pros and cons of the distribution of organic meat through organic food shops. An overlapping and updated study of organic meat is lacking. Pros and cons of several distribution channels should be looked at according to Schulze et al. (2008). Buder and Hamm (2011) concluded, using analyses of single product groups, that there are gaps in the distribution of organic meat and products made out of meat, and that conventional quality products are often bought by organic consumers.

The only study concerned with brands and labels was published by Reuter (2002): an analy- sis of the trademark BioBio by the discounter Plus. Comparable studies for further trade- marks for organic food should be made. The distribution of traditional organic labels such as Demeter and Naturland in Germany was not considered in any study. Their distribution policy and the selection of distribution channels might be an interesting question, as the changes in distribution structures also occur to them. In practical business an exhaustive discussion about selective distribution policy is taking place and is not being reflected by research. None of the 64 studies considers the logistical part of distribution. This topic should be ex- plored as it is a critical to decisions in distribution policy.