The document discusses how interactions between craft and commercial firms with narrow and broad targets foster market evolution. It outlines how firms elaborate, translate, and transform their products and practices over time, leading to greater diversity, broader skills and knowledge, and an expanded meaning system in the market. The document also categorizes firms into craft specialists, commercial specialists, craft generalists, and commercial generalists based on whether they pursue aesthetic perfection or profit maximization and whether they have a narrow or broad target.

1. Dolbec, Arsel, and Aboelenien (2022)
A Practice Perspective on Market Evolution:
How Craft and Commercial Coffee Firms Expand Practices and
Develop Markets

2. Dolbec, Arsel, and Aboelenien (2022)
Craft –the pursuit of aesthetic perfection— is a dominant trend that contributes to
the evolution of many markets, such as barbering, beer, chocolate, coffee,
denim, fragrances, ice cream, and tattoos.

3. Dolbec, Arsel, and Aboelenien (2022)
In these markets, craft firms compete against and interact with other firms (craft or
commercial) with different targets (specialist or generalist):
Craft specialists: Pursue aesthetic
perfection and a narrow target
Craft firms pursue
aesthetic
perfection
Commercial firms
pursue profit
maximization
Specialist firms have narrow targets
Generalist firms have broad targets
Examples: Momotaro Jeans, Tim
Wendelboe Coffee, Grinder
Butchers
Commercial specialists: Pursue
profit maximization and a narrow
target
Craft generalists: Pursue aesthetic
perfection and a broad target
Commercial generalists: Pursue
profit maximization and a broad
target
Examples: Nudie Jeans, Tobys
Estate, Beretta Farms
Examples: Outlier, Jura, Memphis
Meats
Examples: Levi’s, Dunkin’, Maple
Leaf

4. Dolbec, Arsel, and Aboelenien (2022)
Interactions between craft and commercial firms
with narrow and broad targets foster market
evolution. Firms:
• Elaborate when they innovate on products
and practices to fit their goal and target.
• Translate when they adapt products and
practices from firms pursuing another target.
• Transform when they adapt products and
practices from firms reflecting a different goal.
Over time, elaboration, translation, and
transformation lead to greater product diversity,
broader skills and knowledge in the market, and
an expanded meaning system

5. Dolbec, Arsel, and Aboelenien (2022)
How can firms capitalize on craft?
• Craft specialists tailor their activities to pursue a narrow target and
aesthetically engaged performances.
• Commercial specialists tailor their activities to pursue a narrow
target and profitability.
• Craft generalists tailor their activities to pursue a broad target and
aesthetically engaged performances.
• Commercial generalists tailor their activities to pursue a broad
target and profitability.