Influencing Aspects for Online Sales: An Analysis of 2nd-degree Olive Cooperative Societies in Spain

Abstract

Spain occupies an important strategic position in the olive oil world market, accounting for 49.92% of world production and 71.49% of European Union production for the 2020-2021 season. These data reveal a situation of leadership and marked specialization which, however, does not translate into real benefits for the sector. Despite this leadership on the supply side, the Spanish olive oil sector has been characterized by the sub-standard marketing of its oils, mainly in bulk. In this context, information and communication technologies (ICTs) in general and the Internet in particular are tools with the potential to restructure the commercial functioning of the sector. This paper addresses the problem of the necessary market orientation of the Spanish olive sector, focusing attention on e-commerce as a means of access to the final market. Thus, the aim of this study is to identify the key factors that can stimulate a higher level of online invoicing by the sector's second tier cooperatives. In order to achieve this objective, qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) has been used. The results indicate that online sales are affected, in a high percentage, by several factors, including online reputation, management training and internationalization, as well as the offer of ecological products and the degree of cooperative integration.