The European dairy industry: Consumption changes, vertical relations and firm strategies

A cura di: Daniele Rama, Renato Pieri

The European dairy industry: Consumption changes, vertical relations and firm strategies

Printed Edition

26.50

Pages: 256

ISBN: 9788820493028

Edition: 1a edizione 1995

Publisher code: 1610.9

Availability: Nulla

This book is published with the financial support of the European Commission, within the framework of a research project aiming at the analysis of the factors directly or indirectly affecting the level of demand for dairy products. With this purpose, the study covers the evolution of consumers tastes, the concentration process in the food retail, the changing structure and strategies of the dairy industry and the extent of the vertical competition between producers-processors and retailers in the more important European milk producing countries.

More than others, three aspects seem to have an increasing importance in the present market competition. The first one regards the non-price strategies adopted by the firms. The European dairy companies seek competitive advantages both through product differentiation, leading to market segmentation, and strong investments in research and development. These strategies have important consequences on the firm's performances and on the consumption evolution, especially the demand for variety.

Consumer tastes and performances are also influenced by exogenous factors, as those induced by the revenue growth. When the revenue is increasing, the demand shifts toward higher quality products, more variety and specific characteristics as health and nutritional properties. Even the evolution of the demographic structure, leading to major changes in the relative importance of different population groups, contributes to the transformation of the competitive conditions in the European markets.

The third important aspect concerns the intensification of the vertical competition between producer and retailer brands, and more generally the impact of the competitive strategies adopted by the modern retail sector on  the structure of producers and their strategies.

Daniele Rama, MSc in Agribusiness at the Institut Agronomique Méditérranéen, Montpellier, France, is Associate Professor at the Department of Agricultural and Food Economics, Catholic University, Piacenza and member of the research staff of the Osservatorio sul Mercato dei Prodotti Lattiero-caseari, Cremona. His scientific activity is mainly focused on the quantitative analysis of agricultural markets, the agricultural policy and the agricultural marketing.

Renato Pieri, MSc in Agricultural Economics at the University of Guelph, Canada, is Professor at the Department of Agricultural and Food Economics, Catholic University, Piacenza and director of the Osservatorio sul Mercato dei Prodotti Lattiero-caseari, Cremona. His main research areas are the econometric analysis of agricultural markets and the structural analysis applied to the main sectors of the agro-food system.

Foreword, Sergio Ventura
1. Evolution of alimentary styles in Italy, Giuseppe Minoia
1.1. Introduction
1.2. The Italian alimentary styles
1.2.1. Style 1. Balanced
1.2.2. Style 2. Careful
1.2.3. Style 3. Emulative
1.2.4. Style 4. Functional
1.2.5. Style 5. Juvenile
1.2.6. Style 6. Conservative
1.2.7. Style 7. Substantial
1.2.8. Style 8. Poor
1.3. Alimentary styles in the great map
1.3.1. How to read the great map
1.4. Comments and remarks on Italian alimentary styles
1.4.1. Groupings
1.4.2. Critical alimentary styles
1.4.3. Considerations on Italian alimentary habits, present and future
1.5. The Italian alimentary styles within the European framework
2. New strategies in the dairy products communication: the case of CIDIL, Mijo Vernay
2.1. Why communicate to young people
2.1.1. The evolution of the young population
2.1.2. Food Profile of young people
2.1.3. Young people and brands
2.1.4. Why an actualisation of the dairy product image
2.2. The new strategy of dairy products promotion
2.2.1. The action context
2.2.2. Measuring tools
2.2.3. Statements
2.2.4. A two-way communication issue
2.2.5. The strategy
2.2.6. The four sensations
2.2.7. Combining the general objective and the media strategy
3. Evolution of the dairy market in Germany, Oswin Maurer and Klaus Drescher
3.1. Introduction
3.2. Structure of the dairy industry in Germany
3.2.1. Number of firms and scale of operations
3.2.2. Dairy structure by main products
3.2.3. Factors contributing to structural adjustments
3.2.4. Organizational features. strategic groups and competitiveness
3.2.5. Competitive position of the German dairy sector in an international context
3.3. Demand for dairy products and consumer behaviour
3.3.1. Evolution of the dairy consumption
3.3.2. Implications of the consumption changes
3.4. Retail trade for food and dairy products
3.4. 1. Food retail structure
3.4.2. Distribution of milk products
References
4. Recent and future developments in the Dutch dairy chain. Dairy farms, processing industry, distribution and consumers, Carel P.C.M. van der Hamsvoort and Jacobus J. de Vlieger
4.1. Introduction
4.2. Consumer market
4.2.1. Demographic trends
4.2.2. Economic trends
4.2.3. Trends in lifestyle and values
4.2.4. Trends in milk and dairy consumption
4.3. Structure and developments in the various segments in the Dutch dairy chain
4.3.1. Dairy farms
4.3.3. The processing industry.
4.3.4. Distribution: wholesalers and retailers
4.4. Structure and developments in the relations between the various segments of the dairy chain
4.4.1. Dairy farmers and the processing industry
4.4.2. The processing industry and wholesalers and retailers
4.5. Conclusions
References
5. Evolution of market structure and the demand for dairy products in the UK, Alan Kirke and Duncan Anderson
5.1. Main characteristics of the dairy sector in the UK
5.2. Household expenditure and consumption
5.2.1. Structure of household expenditure on food
5.2.2. Consumption of dairy products
5.2.3. Profile of milk consumers
5.3. Changes in dairy industry structure and competitive strategies
5.3.1. Northern Foods
5.3.2. Unigate
5.3.3. Dairy Crest
5.3.4. MD Foods
5.3.5. Waterford Foods
5.3.6. Avonmore Foods
5.4. Dynamics in the food distribution channel
5.4.1. Structural changes in the food retail
5.4.2. Distribution of dairy products
5.5. Conclusions
References
6. The market for dairy products in France, Jean-Baptiste Philippot
6.1. Evolution of consumption
6.1.1. Global consumption of dairy products and segmentation of the markets
6.1.2. Evolution of consumption by products
6.2. Distribution
6.2. 1. The dominant situation of multiples
6.2.2. Profitability of dairy products in the distribution channel
6.2.3. Organisation and concentration of grocery retail
6.2.4. Hard discounting
6.3. Strategies of the milk processing firms
6.3. 1. Structures and concentration in the dairy sector
6.3.2. Strategies and strategic groups
6.4. Conclusions
References
7. Spain's dairy industry: present situation and recent changes, Alicia Langreo
7.1. Introduction
7.2. Dairy products consumption and demand evolution
7.3. Changes in the dairy industry structure and strategy
7.3. 1. Spanish dairy companies dynamics
7.3.2. Competitive strategies
7.4. Dairy product distribution
References
8. The Italian dairy market: present situation and recent changes, Renato Pieri and Daniele Rama
8.1 The consumer
8.1.1. Demographic and socio-economic trends
8.1.2. Evolution of apparent consumption of dairy products
8.1.3. Patterns and reasons for milk, butter and yoghurt consumption
8.1.4. Patterns and reasons for cheese consumption
8.2. The commercial distribution
8.2.1. The Italian delay
8.2.2. The reorganisation in progress
8.2.3. The distribution of dairy products
8.3. The structure and strategies of the dairy industry
8.3.1. The production structure
8.3.2. The location of plants
8.3.3. The industrial process
8.3.4. Strategic groups
8.3.5. Restructuring in the dairy sector
8.4. The dairy farms structure and milk production
8.4.1. The decrease of dairy farms
8.4.2. The sources of milk for the dairy industry
References
9. The protection of competition in the milk sector. The Italian experience, Daniela Giangiulio
9.1. Introduction
9.2. Law No. 287/90
9.2.1. Objectives of a competition policy
9.2.2. Features of the law
9.2.3. Some interpretative problems: dominant position and relevant market
9.3. The activity of the Italian Antitrust Authority
9.3.1. Some results of the fact-finding survey
9.3.2. The milk price agreement in the province of Rome
9.3.3. The Parmalat/Giglio case
9.4. Conclusions


Contributors:

Serie: Studi di economia agroalimentare, Smea

Subjects: Agricultural and Food Economics

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