Jump to ContentJump to Main Navigation

Online

49,00 € / $74.00*

* Prices subject to change. Shipping costs will be added if applicable.
Publication Date:
November 2010
ISSN:
1542-0485
DOI:
10.2202/1542-0485.1312

See all formats and pricing

Online
Individual Subscription Online only
Euro [D] 49.00
RRP for USA, Canada, Mexico
US$ 74.00 *
Print
Individual Subscription Online only
Euro [D] 195.00
RRP for USA, Canada, Mexico
US$ 263.00 *
Print + Online
Individual Subscription Online only
Euro [D] 234.00
RRP for USA, Canada, Mexico
US$ 316.00 *
*Prices subject to change. Shipping costs will be added if applicable.

Prices, Promotions, and Supermarket Mergers

David E. Davis

1South Dakota State University

Citation Information: Journal of Agricultural & Food Industrial Organization. Volume 8, Issue 1, Pages –, ISSN (Online) 1542-0485, DOI: 10.2202/1542-0485.1312, November 2010

Publication History:
Published Online:
2010-11-20

Using a unique data set of transaction-level retail food sales, I find that food prices are negatively related to supermarket chains’ shares of total U.S. food sales. The negative relationship suggests that supermarket chains enjoy economies of scale or benefit from an improved post-merger bargaining position. In contrast, the regressions also show an increase in price after a merger, which is independent from changes in observable control variables. Subsequent fractional logit analysis suggests mergers are associated with decreases in the frequency and depth of price-promotions. These latter effects suggest supermarkets enjoy greater unilateral pricing power post-merger, perhaps due to improved brand identity.

Keywords: food prices; pricing promotion; market power; sales; antitrust

Comments (0)

Please log in or register to comment.