French-speaking Europe as a market area for Nordic leather : market opportunity analysis and entry roadmap for a Finnish tannery
Godard, Sanna; Tilvis, Maarit (2025)
2025
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202504055747
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202504055747
Tiivistelmä
The commissioning party of this research was the tannery business unit of Central Ostrobothnian company Kokkolan Nahka Oy. The main purpose of this research-based development work was to investigate business-to-business market opportunities the French-speaking Europe has to offer for a tannery specialised in tanning Nordic hides, and to create a visual and strategic roadmap the company can use in the market entry process. The target countries in this thesis were France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland.
The selected methodological approach for this development work was a constructive approach with a multi-method design. The theoretical framework described the different market analysis tools used for studying both the macro-environment as well as internal limitations and attributes of the company from the perspective of this market opportunity analysis. In addition to desk research, primary data was collected by interviewing market players both in the target countries and in Finland. Furthermore, observation and mystery shopping were used in gathering a comprehensive understanding on the current state of the market. The research considered suitable market entry modes, market tendencies, and competitive scenery, and further proposed a list of activities and key initiatives for the company in a form of customised market entry plan.
The findings of this thesis confirm that whilst the niche leather articles of the commissioning organisation were mostly unknown in the studied markets, yet they raised a strong interest among the interviewed businesses. European location for a supplier was considered a great benefit. The empirical research identified also potential stumbling stones, such as negative reputation of hunting in the target countries, lack of search engine optimisation and a risk of language barrier particularly in France. The research solutions and customised plan were gathered into the final roadmap construction. The roadmap provides concise and visually easy to use tools for monitoring the entry process and achievements, and the design makes it flexible and adaptable for changing market conditions. The commissioning company can use the same developed layout for any other new market endeavours in the future.
The selected methodological approach for this development work was a constructive approach with a multi-method design. The theoretical framework described the different market analysis tools used for studying both the macro-environment as well as internal limitations and attributes of the company from the perspective of this market opportunity analysis. In addition to desk research, primary data was collected by interviewing market players both in the target countries and in Finland. Furthermore, observation and mystery shopping were used in gathering a comprehensive understanding on the current state of the market. The research considered suitable market entry modes, market tendencies, and competitive scenery, and further proposed a list of activities and key initiatives for the company in a form of customised market entry plan.
The findings of this thesis confirm that whilst the niche leather articles of the commissioning organisation were mostly unknown in the studied markets, yet they raised a strong interest among the interviewed businesses. European location for a supplier was considered a great benefit. The empirical research identified also potential stumbling stones, such as negative reputation of hunting in the target countries, lack of search engine optimisation and a risk of language barrier particularly in France. The research solutions and customised plan were gathered into the final roadmap construction. The roadmap provides concise and visually easy to use tools for monitoring the entry process and achievements, and the design makes it flexible and adaptable for changing market conditions. The commissioning company can use the same developed layout for any other new market endeavours in the future.