Akademia Rolniczo-Techniczna w Bydgoszczy
Summary
Monitoring of agrifoodstuffs producers allows us to collect market information nec-essary for an adequate operation of companies. Information in the contemporary economy is becoming a resource which can be produced, sold and used.
Keywords: Distribution, Producers Monitoring, Suppliers Selection, Market Information
1. Introduction
A development of international commerce and a transition from the market of producers to the market of consumers have resulted in a change in conditions in which companies must produce and sell their products and services. A decreased life of products, as a result of fast, the so-called moral, aging, forced shortened production cycles, changes in the production techniques and distri-bution methods. As a result there was an increase in the diversity in the product offer, showing a high level esthetics and quality determined by consumer requirements.1 All that makes market players not only take care of and get to know the preferences of the client but also forecast client’s future needs both in reference to goods and services and the method of supply chain organization.2
One of the tools of securing a strong position on the markets by companies is knowledge and information.3 To be competitive, one shall have current information of the market, preferences and requirements of the clients, presence of producers on the market, etc. Information, according to Gołbiewski, means each data stream reaching the entity, and the set of data and rules about the surrounding world makes the knowledge of the entity. Each producer, buyer and seller is interested in a continuous supply of information about producers and their presence on the market, prices, supply and demand and other market conditions.
The aim of the present study is presenting agrifoodstuffs producers market presence monitor-ing as an example of market information.
2. Methodology
Agrifoodstuffs producers market presence monitoring in large-area shops was launched in 1998 and continued until 2003.
The study was carried out with the uncontrolled, hidden, and standardized observation method which includes target, intended and scheduled plan perception. It is used to investigate events, behaviors and phenomena which can be seen or recorded without interference of the researcher.
1 Szczepankiewicz W. 1994. Logistyka w marketingu. Akademia Ekonomiczna Kraków.
2 Gołbska E.: 1999. Kompendium wiedzy o logistyce. Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warszawa – Pozna.
3 Gołbiewski J., 2005. Informacja rynkowa a sprawno łacuchów dystrybucji produktów spoywczych. Zarzdzanie
Uncontrolled observation involves recording behaviors and phenomena under natural conditions. The observations were hidden as not always the researcher was given a permission to take down information, while standardization involved recording suppliers according to a given key using pre-developed forms.
Table 1 presents the study schedule including large-area shops in which agrifoodstuffs suppli-ers monitoring was made.
Table 1. Producers monitoring research schedule over 1998 - 2003 1998 Makro, MiniMal, ETC, Netto, Miko
1999 Makro, MiniMal, Intermarche, Géant 2000 Makro, MiniMal, Intermarche, Géant
2001 MiniMal, Intermarche, Géant, TESCO, Auchan, AS, Jumbo, 2002 Hypernova, AS, MiniMal, Auchan, Géant, TESCO, Intermarche 2003 Hypernova, AS, MiniMal, Auchan, Géant, TESCO, Intermarche Source: own elaboration
Agrifoodstuffs were divided into the following product groups for which the presence of the following producers was recorded: meat and meat products, canned foods, frozen foods, ketchups, jam, oil, pasta, milk, Bobo Fruit, carbonated soft drinks, noncarbonated soft drinks, yoghurts, margarines.
The presence of respective producers was recorded over 1998 -1999 at the beginning and at the end of the year. However due to a considerable rotation, a change in research methodology had been made and since 2000 monitoring had been made once every quarter. The observations were recorded by manual entry into the specially developed forms which listed producers (with a possi-bility of a new producer being entered).
3. Results
Over the period studied 113 recordings were made which covered selected large-area shops; a total of 532 different producers, a total of 10 947 producers entries. After the initial selection, composition and decomposition, a total of 26 tables were created, including data, verified in statis-tical analysis.
Meat and meat-product producers were most represented; a total of 95 over the period studied. The biggest number of meat and meat-product producers was recorded in 2002 – 68, and the low-est number – in 2003 – 23. Over the period studied the producers showed a varied presence on the market. They could be recorded a maximum of 113 times. The most frequently recorded producer was Morliny - 78 entries, and the second highest – Zakłady Misne Sokołów – 76, then Indykpol - 61, Zakłady Misne Koło - 58, Krakus - 57, Stokłosa - 50, Zakłady Misne Bydgoszcz - 50. Thir-teen producers were recorded once only, which can show a low-stability position of the producer on the market.
The canned vegetables group was represented by 57 producers. The highest number of pro-ducers was recorded in 2001 – 45, and the lowest in 1999 - 13. The propro-ducers are represented by large global companies which were available in all the shops monitored almost throughout all the research years, e.g. Bonduelle - 108 entries and Pudliszki - 103 entries. The following producers
were recorded much less frequently: Rolnik – 67 times, Kotlin – 56, Krakus – 53, Kwidzyn – 49 and Davia - 41. Sixteen producers were entered once.
Over the period studied a total of 31 producers of frozen foods were recorded, single entries were made for four producers. The group leader was Hortex with 109 entries, followed by Bondu-elle - 99, Frosta - 79 and Felko - 53. The most numerous producers of frozen foods were present on the market in 2002 – 25, and least frequently in 1999 – only four times.
Another group of products includes ketchups, represented by 36 producers. The leader of this group was definitely Heinz, entered 106 times, followed by Pudliszki – 100, Kotlin – 97, Wło-cławek – 92 and Roleski – 76. The year of the highest presence of producers was 2002 – 31, and the lowest 2003 - 12 producers. Five producers were recorded once.
Over the period studied jams supplied to large-area shops were represented by 34 producers, with Łowicz as the jam leader, recorded 105 times, then Stovit – 98, Materne 95, Kotlin - 92, Fruta - 70 and Midzychód 68 times. The biggest number of jam producers was recorded in 2002 – 28, and the lowest in 1999 – 11.
Oil producers represented the least numerous group – 21; in 2002 – 17, which was the highest score, and in 1999 – 6 – the lowest score. The highest presence on the market was found for Ku-jawski oil - 105 entries. Six producers were recorded once only.
Pasta was represented by 50 producers; 6 producers were entered once only. The producers were most represented in 2002 – 41 and least frequently in 1999 – 10 times. Almost in all the shops throughout the research period there was recorded the presence of Malma – as many as 112 entries. The group leaders also included Lubelski – 92.
Milk present in the shops monitored was produced by 28 dairies; the highest number was re-corded in 2002 – 22, and the lowest number – in 1999 – 9. Mlekovita was the market leader -101 entries, then Łowicz – 86, Łaciate – 68, OSM Turek – 54 and Toruska SM – 50 entries. Four producers were entered once.
Carbonated soft drinks were represented by 37 producers, most frequently in 2002 – 26 entries and least frequently in 1999 – 11. Global companies were again recorded during most recordings: Hop – 91, Coca Cola – 84, Ostromecko 83, Pepsi Cola 75 and Ustronianka – 63 times. Three pro-ducers were entered once.
Non-carbonated soft drinks constituted a more numerous group, with 58 producers. The high-est number of their producers was noted in 2002 - 51 and the lowhigh-est in 1999 – 15. Hortex was the leader – 111 entries, followed by Fortuna – 106, Tymbark – 99. Cappy – 94, Clippo – 92, Kubu – 81 and Dr Witt – 77. In this group also three companies were recorded once.
Yoghurt producers, with 34 representatives, were not the most numerous group of producers, however here there were found companies which were 100% present throughout the research pe-riod: Bakoma and Danone – 113 entries and slightly less frequent Zott, recorded 110 times, then Campina - 91 times, TSM – 66 and SM Osowa – 59 times. Three companies were also recorded only once.
The last product group included margarines, represented by 50 producers; most numerous rep-resentation was recorded in 2001 with 40 producers, and least frequently present in 1999 – repre-sented by 15 producers. The companies present throughout the research period included: Rama – 103 entries, Masmix – 102. Six producers were recorded once only.
Fig. 2. presents the number of producers recorded in all the large-area shops in successive quarters of the research period. Definitely the highest number of producers was noted in 2002 and the lowest in 1999. One can also observe a growing number of producers in successive years up to
the economic crisis in 2002, which resulted in an almost two-fold decrease in the number of pro-ducers on the market. In most cases the companies which survived were global companies, present throughout the registration period. Median (middle value) in successive years ranged from 65 in 1998 to 120 in 2001. The highest range between the bottom (25%) and upper quarter (75%) was recorded in 2002, which shows the highest variation in the number of shops.
Fig. 2. Number of producers recorded in quarters in all the shops Source: own elaboration
Fig 3 presents the number of producers, divided according to product groups, in successive years. The data analysis shows that meat and meat-product producers dominated, followed by noncarbonated soft drink and canned foods producers, while the least numerous groups on the market were oil and milk producers. This figure confirms that in most cases the number of produc-ers was increasing by the end of 2001, and then started decreasing.
Figure 3. Number of producers in successive years in product groups Source: own elaboration
4. Summary
The supermarket and hypermarket producers monitoring analysis showed that throughout the research period there was noted the presence of products of the following producers: Bakoma (100%), Danone (100%), Malma (99.1%) Hortex (98.2%), Jogobella (97.3%), Bonduelle (95.6%), Gerber (94.7%), Fortuna (93.8%) Heinz (93.8%) and Łowicz (92.9%). At the turn of 2001 and 2002 and in 2003 there was noted a decrease in the number of producers by about 50%.
Market information which covers the presence of producers on the market often makes it eas-ier for other producers to take key decisions about the activity of their companies. According to Gołbiewski, taking the right decisions depends on having access to the right information.
Bibliography
1. Gołbiewski J., 2005. Informacja rynkowa a sprawno łacuchów dystrybucji produk-tów spoywczych. Zarzdzanie wiedz w agrobiznesie w warunkach polskiego członko-stwa w Unii Europejskiej, SGGW Warszawa, 361.
2. Gołbska E., 1999. Kompendium wiedzy o logistyce. Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN Warszawa – Pozna.
3. Szczepankiewicz W., 1994. Logistyka w marketingu. Akademia Ekonomiczna Kraków.
MAŁGORZATA MICHALCEWICZ ATR Bydgoszcz
Katedra Informatyki w Zarzdzaniu ul. Kaliskiego 7 bud. 3.1
