Postponement practices in the Brazilian Southeast wine sector

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the application of the postponement strategy by wineries in the state of Minas Gerais (Southeastern Brazil), in order to identify the types of postponement adopted by these companies, the implementation process and the results obtained after their adoption. Design/methodology/approach Twelve exploratory case studies were conducted in wine-producing companies, as well as on-site visits and semi-structured interviews with the managers of the companies surveyed. Findings The adoption of form postponement was verified in the companies studied mainly for table wine production, occurring most commonly during the bottling and labeling stages. Research limitations/implications This paper analyzed the application of the postponement strategy in Southeast Brazil. Future research should analyze the application of this strategy in other regions of the country and abroad. Practical implications The information acquired in this research can contribute to a more adequate practical application of the postponement strategy in a little-known industry sector. Originality/value In addition to discussing and verifying the application of the postponement strategy in the wine industry, this research presents information to assist in its implementation, use and consolidation.