Excerpt from the report Introduction: Around the turn of the century when fluid milk markets began to assume their present form, city markets were highly local in character. Literally hundreds of fluid milk distributors operated in large city markets. But, even at that time, a few large dealers did most of the business. Since then, their numbers have been drastically reduced by a series of technological changes and shifts in the economic environment. This study concentrates on the postwar changes in numbers of plants and firms in the fluid milk business and in their market shares, to provide a better understanding of the economic processes that are taking place. This recent history can be understood only in relation to the developments which preceded it.