Implementation of social networks as a digital communication tool in social supermarkets

Abstract

The main purpose of social supermarkets is to serve to customers, which are in material deprivation. As non-profit organizations, they perform several business activities on everyday basis. Those activities include: (1) collecting donations in money, (2) organization of acceptance of donations in form of food and toiletries from traditional supply chains, (3) acquiring food and other stuff from other sources and (4) distribution of food, toiletries and other stuff for free and/or (5) selling goods at extremely discounted prices to socially endangered people. There are numerous possibilities of social networks implementation in such type of organizations. The aim of this paper is to analyze how social supermarkets implement social networks in communication with donors, volunteers, end users and general public. In the paper, three cases of active social supermarkets in Croatia are analyzed in order to explain the usage of social networks in their everyday operations.