Los canales de distribución y las estrategias en los restaurantes: un estudio en Balneário Camboriú - Brasil

Distribution Channel Strategy in Restaurants in Balneário Camboriú, Brazil. The performance of the distribution channels is linked to several potential factors that the company has previously analyzed. This market research helps identifying the right channel for the company byevaluating the circumstances surrounding the product and the market. The choice of the channel must effectively plan the delivery of the product to the customer. The restaurant industry faces many challenges such as fierce competition, innovations in information and communication technology (ICT) and increasingly demanding customers. Restaurants can use multiple distribution channels to reach consumers, targeting the different stages of the buying process, and gaining competitive advantage. In this context, the objective of this research is to analyze the strategies of restaurants regarding the distribution channels used to attract the customers in the tourist destination Balneário Camboriú / SC, Brazil. An exploratory and descriptive study was conducted with a quantitative approach. From a population of 162 restaurants, we obtained 110 valid questionnaires, aimed at identifying the following strategies: direct channels, indirect channels, management channels, and use of social media. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze data and variable means are presented in line charts and IPA grids. The results indicate that the management channels and the direct channels are ranked the highest on importance and implementation by the respondents. El desempeño de los canales de distribución está ligado a diversos factores potenciales previamente analizados por la empresa. A partir del estudio de mercado es preciso elegir el canal adecuado para la empresa evaluando las circunstancias en torno al producto y el mercado, una decisión que requiere una planificación eficaz en relación a la llegada del producto al cliente. El sector de restaurantes enfrenta innumerables desafíos como la competitividad implacable y las innovaciones en la tecnología de la información y comunicación (TIC), que provocan que los clientes sean cada vez más exigentes. Los restaurantes pueden utilizar más de un canal de distribución para llegar a los consumidores, atendiendo las diferentes fases de necesidades de los clientes y obteniendo ventajas competitivas. En este contexto el objetivo de esta investigación es analizar las estrategias establecidas por los restaurantes en cuanto a los canales de distribución utilizados