GROWTH WITHOUT LOSING THE ESSENCE: The Dilemma of “A Colher Confeitaria” in Choosing Between Physical Expansion and Distribution Channels
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.13058/raep.2026.v27n1.2772Keywords:
Digital Marketing, SWOT Analysis, SMEsAbstract
This teaching case presents the entrepreneurial journey of Cristiane Oliveira and her daughter, Giovana Bernardo Oliveira, founders of “A Colher Confeitaria,” a family-run artisanal confectionery business created during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Ingleses neighborhood of Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil. With limited resources and no formal management training, the partners faced the challenge of transforming a home-based production into a structured operation with a physical location, in-house staff, and a dedicated industrial kitchen. The case invites students to analyze a real strategic dilemma faced by the entrepreneurs: physically expanding the business, assuming high fixed costs and operational risks, or strengthening digital channels and delivery as a scalable and financially viable alternative. From this, the study promotes discussions on sustainable growth, differentiation, brand positioning, and innovation in products and processes within the food sector. This teaching case is based on real events and, for its construction, primary data collected through face-to-face interviews with the company's partners were used. This case study can be used in courses on Digital Marketing, Small Business Management, and Business Strategy in undergraduate and graduate programs in Business Administration.
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