(Wines&Vines) - Experts to discuss effects of mergers in a different segment of the wine industry

San Rafael, Calif.—According to listings in the Wines & Vines Buyer’s Guide directory of wine industry vendors, the number of companies serving the North American wine industry in the categories of capsules, closures and labels has dropped by 85, from 462 in 2008 to 377 today: a 22% decrease in the span of 10 years. These include acquisitions and companies that closed or left the wine industry space altogether.

 In the wine industry, purchasing decisions are often spread across multiple departments: winemaking, finance, marketing and, of course, packaging, among many others. Best practices regarding organizing and aligning these purchasing decisions can ultimately affect a winery’s business. With the consolidation of several packaging companies over the years, are those decisions getting easier with the limitation of options or is it getting harder due to the lack of vendor variety?