Futah’s international journey

: a sunny future for a beach towel?

Abstract

This dissertation aims to study the internationalization process of a small business enterprise and how the adoption of an e-business format might impact it, through the development of a business case study. The thesis includes a Literature Review of relevant topics and a Teaching Note. The Case provides a better comprehension of several strategic concepts in real situations and allows for the evaluation of an SME’s internationalization strategy and the key factors that influenced its decisions.The Case permits to study the physical stores’ relevance on SMEs’ internationalization and the importance of conciliating online and offline channels.Futah, a small Portuguese company founded in 2012, sells mainly 100% Egyptian cotton design beach towels manufactured in Tunisia that dry faster, are UV-rays resistant, and lighter than usual towels. Throughout the years it extended its product line. Since its foundation, Futah wanted to be known worldwide, but showed a high sales difference between its offline and online channels. Thus, it started internationalizing from the start and focused on developing a strong brand image through several marketing efforts and a clear concern with sustainability. Despite those efforts, nine years later, Portugal was still Futah’s largest market.The Literature Review focuses on three main topics related to the Case Study: the internationalization of SMEs, the role of the Internet, and the SMEs’ e-business adoption. Finally, the Teaching Note offers a recommended classroom plan and its analysis as well as assignment questions, in order to help instructors to use the Case for in-class discussions.

Date of Award	28 Jan 2022
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Nuno Magalhães Guedes (Supervisor)