https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/massey/oai:mro.massey.ac.nz:10179/4609
type: CreativeWork
name: The wine industry and the consumer : a study of the production, distribution and consumption of wine in New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Ph. D. in Economics at Massey University
description: This thesis is an investigation into production, distribution, and consumption of wine in New Zealand, with particular consideration of the effects of the wine industry's structure and behaviour on consumer interest. Government protection policies have greatly influenced expansion and structural development of the industry. Protection of the existing local industry was mainly effected by reducing opportunities for competition in two ways: implementation of import control regulations which have restricted competition from overseas wines, and introduction of licensing laws which have favoured control of the wine trade by a limited number of licence holders. Investigation into industry ownership patterns showed the presence of vertical and horizontal integration at various stages of the marketing system. Mergers and takeovers have resulted in the formation of a powerful group of companies which control wine marketing. These companies are usually associated with breweries, large distribution companies, and companies with overseas connections. In addition, concentration ratios calculated at the production level provided evidence that the wine industry is highly concentrated. In 1981 six firms controlled about 87% of the market. The degree of concentration and the ownership patterns of the New Zealand wine industry are indicators of its oligopolistic structure and market power. This market power is not altered by the presence of overseas wines in New Zealand as the volume of imports is very small (5% of total sales in 1978-1979). Limited competition and oligopolistic industry structure have contributed to the industry's behaviour in determining quality of products, prices and output. Lenient regulations governing wine-making have also affected wine quality. Adulteration of some New Zealand wines, evident from statistical data, was subsequently substantiated by the Consumer Institute analysis of local wines. Statistical data on industry production indicated that when the i…
abstract: This thesis is an investigation into production, distribution, and consumption of wine in New Zealand, with particular consideration of the effects of the wine industry's structure and behaviour on consumer interest. Government protection policies have greatly influenced expansion and structural development of the industry. Protection of the existing local industry was mainly effected by reducing opportunities for competition in two ways: implementation of import control regulations which have restricted competition from overseas wines, and introduction of licensing laws which have favoured control of the wine trade by a limited number of licence holders. Investigation into industry ownership patterns showed the presence of vertical and horizontal integration at various stages of the marketing system. Mergers and takeovers have resulted in the formation of a powerful group of companies which control wine marketing. These companies are usually associated with breweries, large distribution companies, and companies with overseas connections. In addition, concentration ratios calculated at the production level provided evidence that the wine industry is highly concentrated. In 1981 six firms controlled about 87% of the market. The degree of concentration and the ownership patterns of the New Zealand wine industry are indicators of its oligopolistic structure and market power. This market power is not altered by the presence of overseas wines in New Zealand as the volume of imports is very small (5% of total sales in 1978-1979). Limited competition and oligopolistic industry structure have contributed to the industry's behaviour in determining quality of products, prices and output. Lenient regulations governing wine-making have also affected wine quality. Adulteration of some New Zealand wines, evident from statistical data, was subsequently substantiated by the Consumer Institute analysis of local wines. Statistical data on industry production indicated that when the i…
author: Serrallach, Josephine
keywords: Wine making, New Zealand
date published: 1984
date modified: 2026-07-27T20:17:00Z
provider: Massey University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Massey University