The Diffusion of Innovative Practices Among Meat Retailers in Northern Greece

Abstract

This paper investigates the degree to which Greek butchers try to come to grips with the implications of long term modern trends. The "traditional butcher versus modern supermarket" conceptual dichotomy is a dead-end for the former. In order to meet the long term challenges of contradictory consumer behavior trends, Greek butchers must embrace them and use them to their own advantage, rather than resist them. The paper deals with issues of innovation adoption by the sector, emphasising the role of the sectoral collective institutions that act as the collective consciousness of their constituents and can hinder or facilitate innovation diffusion.