Value co-creation in food online sales

Abstract

The aim of the study is to examine the value co-creation potential in food online sales and those business models. This thesis studies and defines the opportunities for value co-creation and its possibilities to be utilized in digital sales. The framework of the study combines value co-creation literature and business model literature, but value co-creation being the focus of this study. The business model canvas has been utilized to examine and define value co-creation opportunities in companies’ business models. The business model canvas is used to analyze the value co-creation potential from several perspectives and therefore the findings support existing literature. Multi-ple case studies were used in the methodology of the study. The thesis consists of four separate cases in which the case companies represented businesses in Finnish food sales, delivery, and software developing. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect the information and data for the thesis. All the interviewees were currently working in the case companies and closely with the studied business. The study utilizes a subjectivist and interpretative approach. There were only minor exceptions in the findings between cases. However, the study found value co-creation opportunities that occur only once in the research. The results defined several value co-creation opportunities located in the value proposition, channels, and customer relationship sections in the business model canvas. The findings show that automation and digitalization have a signifi-cant role in value co-creation, especially, when developing new opportunities for value co-creation. However, the study detects that people continue to play a significant role in value co-creation and the company’s business model. Replacing the human in digital food sales is ex-tremely challenging according to this study but the collaboration of human, robots, and automa-tion can benefit and increase the efficiency of the operations.