Thomas Atkin

Women wine consumers: information search and retailing implications

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to examine gender differences in information search procedures and selection criteria relative to purchase situation and social and financial risk aversion.Design/methodology/approach – An online questionnaire was completed by 497 males and 877 females in the USA. A total of 88 percent of the respondents stated that they drank wine at least once per week. Participants were obtained by sending e‐mails to customer lists provided by wine‐related organizations.Findings – Findings suggest that, if a consumer is unsure about making a wine selection, women are more apt than men to seek information from store personnel, a server, sommelier, or winery personnel. Labels and shelf tags are also significantly more important for women. While winery region is very important to both men and women, women rely on medals and awards more than men.Research limitations/implications – Consumers who are not necessarily comfortable with using the internet would not have had an opportunit...

Environmental strategy: does it lead to competitive advantage in the US wine industry?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate and compare the perceptions of competitive advantage (cost leadership, differentiation, and performance) of those wineries which have implemented a clear business case for an environmental management system (EMS) and those which have not. Benefits and challenges of sustainability practices are also addressed.Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected via self‐report web‐based survey. Of the 98 respondents, over 80 per cent were family‐owned, family‐managed.Findings – Those respondents with a clear business case for EMS exhibited significant differences in cost leadership and differentiation advantages over those without a clear business case for EMS. Those with a clear EMS derived significantly greater supply chain optimization and operational efficiencies than those without a clear EMS. Those with a clear EMS also felt that they gained an enhanced ability to enter new markets to a much greater extent than those without a clear EMS. Results of t...

A Multinational Study of the Diffusion of a Discontinuous Innovation

There has been a great deal written about the diffusion of discontinuous technical innovations, but very little about diffusion of discontinuous innovations in other areas, such as packaging. Also, little research explores differences in diffusion rates of low-technological discontinuous innovations in different countries or cultures. This project studies the differences in the diffusion process for the screw cap on wine bottles in three countries. We use an internet survey of over 3,600 wine consumers to understand why this discontinuous innovation appears to be slower to diffuse in one country (the US), than in the other two (Australia and New Zealand). Logistic regression is used to model the characteristics of adopters versus non-adopters in each country. Our results show that educating the consumer about the advantages of discontinuous innovations can help to speed diffusion. Education can occur through advertising programs directed at the media and consumers, and also through word-of-mouth campaigns directed at consumers.

Perceived efficacy of sustainability strategies in the US, Italian, and Spanish wine industries

Purpose – This purpose of this investigation is to compare the perceptions of competitive advantage through cost leadership and differentiation with sustainable practices of wineries from the USA, Italy and Spain. Design/methodology/approach – Data are collected via self-report web-based surveys in California, Tuscany and Catalonia in 2010-2011 during a severe economic downturn in the wine industry. Findings – Of the 260 respondents among the three country samples, over 75 per cent are family-owned and family-managed. Respondents indicate who has implemented a clear business case for an Environmental Management System (EMS) and who has not. Benefits and challenges of implementing sustainability practices are also addressed. Practical implications – A comparable percentage of respondents across the three countries indicated a “clear business case for EMS”. Wineries in all three countries perceive that they have competitive advantage through implementation of EMS and commitment to sustainable practices. Top...

Consumer awareness and quality perceptions: a case for Sonoma County wines

The general hypothesis of this study is that the core wine consumer in the USA is not influenced by American Viticulture Area (AVA) (appellations) designation in deciding about wine quality above and beyond the geopolitical region designation (such as Sonoma County). Most wine consumers have higher awareness of the larger geopolitical region than the AVAs within that region. The case of Sonoma County, California, is used to investigate this question because legislation was recently enacted to ensure that the “Sonoma County” designation to be printed on all wine produced there. The authors assert that this “conjunctive labeling” will improve competitiveness. A national sample of 409 US wine consumers answer the call for more research on a national level.

Using Region to Market Wine to International Consumers

This study adds to the food products marketing and product development literature by comparing the purchasing behaviors of wine consuming segments in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States when faced with a lack of information. Region of origin information was the most popular coping mechanism in the United States and Australia when unsure about making a wine selection. New Zealanders place the most emphasis on medals won. Daily wine consumers relied more on region of origin information than moderate consumers in the United States but this was not true in Australia and New Zealand.

Protecting Quality of Wine Exports to China: Barriers and Bridges

There is a great potential for wine to deteriorate during shipment and storage of wines being exported from the United States to China. Certification of storage conditions such as that provided by the Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency (HKQAA) is a key bridge to protecting quality and maintaining value in the auction market there. A literature review and semistructured interviews with winery managers, freight forwarders, transportation experts, and representatives of HKQAA provide qualitative analysis of barriers and bridges to protecting quality. The article presents a strong case for the adoption of storage and transportation standards for wine, such as the Wine Storage Management System implemented by HKQAA. Looking at wine exports through the lens of Total Quality Management provides the basis for recommending formal certification.