Ashley Mannell, Patricia Brevard, Rodolfo Nayga, Pierre Combris, Robert Lee and Janet Gloeckner
To survey consumers living in Paris, France, to determine the extent to which they use nutrition labels, and to determine the percentage of French consumers who use nutrition…
Abstract
Purpose
To survey consumers living in Paris, France, to determine the extent to which they use nutrition labels, and to determine the percentage of French consumers who use nutrition labels, how often they use nutrition labels, and how they would like to see current nutrition labels improved. The researchers also wanted to determine the reasons why consumers do not use nutrition labels, and to try and assess users' and non‐users' perceptions about mandatory nutrition labelling.
Design/methodology/approach
French consumers (n = 355) were surveyed in supermarkets in Paris and its suburbs, using a 21‐item questionnaire in May 2004. Interviewers used questionnaires to assess the frequency of respondents' nutrition label use, to investigate the specific nutrient information most commonly consulted on nutrition labels, the types of products on which consumers most often tend to consult nutrition labels, and to collect demographic information.
Findings
Only 45.1 per cent of the sample reported reading nutrition labels, with the majority of consumers reading labels only occasionally. Non‐label readers cited lack of interest as the primary reason why they do not read labels, but 95 per cent of the sample, when asked about mandatory nutrition labeling, felt that nutrition labeling should be required of food manufacturers. Research limitations/implications The sample size was small, participation was voluntary and was limited to the city of Paris and its suburbs, and therefore cannot be generalized to the French population.
Originality/value
This is the first study to collect data in a point‐of‐purchase setting in order to examine whether or not French consumers use nutrition labels.
American wineries have taken marketing steps toward attracting consumers. They employ tasting scores to augment and solidify market share. According to Oster (1999) and Porter…
Abstract
American wineries have taken marketing steps toward attracting consumers. They employ tasting scores to augment and solidify market share. According to Oster (1999) and Porter (1985), competitive advantage comes from either cost advantages or product differentiation. American wineries use tasting scores they receive from experts as the basis for product differentiation and raising prices. To achieve competitive advantage, the product must be seen as important and an improvement in the market, while simultaneously lacking imitation. This article looks at how tasting scores given by wine experts may affect American firms' competitive advantage, barring entry by importing rivals, such as Australian firms. If these tasting scores provide product importance and improvements, while delivering a product that lacks imitation, competitive advantage may result. If importers to the US realise this, these firms can undermine American advantages, increase competition, and gain market share through their own competitive advantages.
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Christophe Terrien and Daniel Steichen
The purpose of this paper is to put forward the hypothesis that the demand for wine can be partly explained by social phenomena.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to put forward the hypothesis that the demand for wine can be partly explained by social phenomena.
Design/methodology/approach
A general framework considers social phenomena. A literature review in the domain of wine shows that these aspects may constitute an interesting line of study in order to explain the demand for wine. This paper proposes an original model taking into account phenomena of imitation or phenomena of opposition between different social groups, in order to explain changes in the demand for wine. The paper shows the existence or the absence of stable equilibriums
Findings
The proposed model is applied here to three different products conveying a strong social dimension (in the domain of Wine) but it could surely be applied to other goods (luxury goods, fashion, cars, etc). Amplifying this work will consist in characterizing the conditions for the existence of stable points in the model according to the social and idiosyncratic parameters of the system.
Originality/value
This original approach of the demand for wine has important managerial implications. The paper suggests, in fact, a price strategy based on the rate of buyers observed in different social groups.
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Philippe Masset, Alexandre Mondoux and Jean-Philippe Weisskopf
This study aims to identify the price determinants of fine wines in a small and competitive market. These characteristics are found in many lesser-known wine-producing countries…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to identify the price determinants of fine wines in a small and competitive market. These characteristics are found in many lesser-known wine-producing countries and are often difficult to analyse because of lack of data.
Design/methodology/approach
This study hand-collects and transcribes wine-related data for 149 Swiss wineries and 2,454 individual wines over the period 2014–2018 directly from wine lists provided by wineries. This study uses multivariate ordinary least squares regressions to analyse the relation between wine attributes and prices and to assess the effect of a currency shock caused by the sudden appreciation of the Swiss franc in 2015 as well as a reduction in information asymmetries induced by the novel coverage of Swiss wines by The Wine Advocate.
Findings
Prices mainly depend on collective reputation, production techniques and product positioning. Surprisingly, following a sharp appreciation of the Swiss franc, producers did not reduce prices. The arrival of a highly influential wine expert on the market also had a positive price effect on rated wines and producers. Both hint at wineries attempting to position themselves relative to competitors.
Originality/value
Few studies examine the price drivers in lesser-known wine markets, where competition is fierce. This study’s results show that wine pricing differs from other more famous and larger wine regions. In addition, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is also the first to analyse the impact of a currency shock and a reduction in information asymmetries on wine prices.
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Jean-Marie Cardebat and Florine Livat
Given the lack of consensus among wine experts, this paper aims to examine whether this implies they make systematic mistakes or is an expression of their idiosyncratic…
Abstract
Purpose
Given the lack of consensus among wine experts, this paper aims to examine whether this implies they make systematic mistakes or is an expression of their idiosyncratic preferences.
Design/methodology/approach
Grade equations are estimated for five famous wine-experts and a panel of 62 Bordeaux fine wines over the period 2003-2011. The appellation of origin is considered a measure of the typical taste of the wines. The authors control for objective factors, thanks to weather variables and the ranking of each wine.
Findings
Ratings vary among experts, such that some statistically significantly favour wines produced in specific areas, indicating their taste preferences. Thus, preferences matter in expert ratings and would seem to suggest a continental variance. The finding explains the lack of consensus in this opinion market.
Social implications
The lack of consensus among wine experts should not necessarily be viewed as market inefficiency. If consumers find the “right expert” reflecting their own tastes, as in the case of cultural goods, they may not necessarily experience a welfare loss due to expert opinion heterogeneity.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to renewing the debate on expert accuracy, considering wine as a cultural good and introducing preferences into the analysis. The authors develop the concept according to which existing differences in the personal tastes of the experts can facilitate consumer search.
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In a highly competitive market, the price of wine is a variable controlled by suppliers to suggest a level of quality. An index of relative firm position in the market based on…
Abstract
Purpose
In a highly competitive market, the price of wine is a variable controlled by suppliers to suggest a level of quality. An index of relative firm position in the market based on relative prices is calculated for a sample of wine producers. The purpose of the paper is to analyze some of the factors related to the characteristics of a firm and quality that may explain the price strategy of wine producers in a new and small wine region, i.e. Québec province in Canada.
Design/methodology/approach
Data on types of wines and prices are collected from a sample of 40 small wine producers in Québec, Canada for the selected years 2008, 2010 and 2015.
Findings
The authors demonstrate that a high price strategy is significantly related to the reputation of the vineyard rather than the age of the domain, the size or the number of wines produced.
Research limitations/implications
The analysis has been carried out based on a data set of only 40 firms for which the price-position index could be calculated. Unfortunately, only limited information is available on producers and production volumes.
Practical implications
This analysis is of particular relevance for small or new wine-producing regions, which lack an established reputation. Because wine quality and taste differ by geographic origin and variety, new wine-producing regions may have opportunities to define a wine’s image (or a winery image) and the producer must inform the market on quality of the wine by reflecting it on the final selling price.
Originality/value
Prior works on the analysis of the price-quality relationship give rise to various and sometimes contradictory results. This analysis is of particular relevance to explain the price strategy of small wine producers in a strongly competitive market where the price remains an obvious commercial argument to signal the quality of a wine.
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François d'Hauteville, Marianela Fornerino and Jean Philippe Perrouty
Disconfirmation of expectations is the mismatch between the expected and blind evaluation of a product. The purpose of this paper is to explore the relation between expected and…
Abstract
Purpose
Disconfirmation of expectations is the mismatch between the expected and blind evaluation of a product. The purpose of this paper is to explore the relation between expected and perceived value (quality), focusing on wines from the French regions with varying levels of notoriety and image content.
Design/methodology/approach
From the consumer's point of view, the hedonic evaluation of a product under full information (intrinsic and extrinsic) is considered as a measure of perceived quality. Generally, the perception of the quality of a product differs according to tasting conditions (blind, or full information). Based on previous literature on food marketing it is assumed that the change of preference between blind and full conditions reflects the influence of extrinsic information (here, the region of origin). Two types of results can be expected from disconfirmation: “assimilation” occurs when the final evaluation of the product changes in the direction of the expectation provided by the extrinsic cue, whereas “contrast” occurs when this change is contrary to the expectation. Five wines selected among regions with different reputation levels, and two groups of consumers, characterized by their level of expertise (trained/untrained students) are used in the experiment.
Findings
The experiments suggest that disconfirmation may be used to measure and interpret region of origin equity on a behavioural basis rather than just attitudinal.
Originality/value
Provides information resulting from research on disconfirmation of expectations.