Maaseudun pienyritysten hintastrategiat : esimerkkinä liha-alan pienyritykset

Abstract

This study examines the pricing of products processed in the countryside. To guarantee the success and continuation of this activity, rural enterprises need to master the strategic areas of business operations. The prices of the products can be considered the central economic determinant of the success, because through sales returns they influence the gross margin and, through this, the profitability. The objective of the study was to examine the use of pricing as a means of competition, pricing in practice, and the formulation of price strategies, as well as the effects of these on the success of enterprises mainly in small rural enterprises processing beef and pigmeat. For the empirical part of the study data was collected by means of interviews and questionnaires from 26 enterprises, the activity of which is mainly based on the use of own raw material and differentiation of the products, compared to the large enterprises on the markets. On the basis of the differentiation or quality factors it is often not possible to set the prices above the overall level, but an attempt is made to adjust the prices to the general market price level. Despite the limited possibilities in terms of pricing, strategic decisions on this are made in the enterprises both in the short and the long run. Problems are mainly related to the awareness of the costs and monitoring the profitability, as well as supporting the price decisions by means of the other areas of marketing. In order to improve the possibilities for success, the development of pricing should be directed to increasing the room to manoeuvre in setting the prices. Decisive aspects of this are the more concrete presentation of the product and quality images, development of cost calculation and the follow-up of profitability in order to increase cost efficiency, increase in the cooperation to reduce costs and to make the products better known, targeted marketing, as well as development of the distribution.