An empirical investigation of the welfare effects of banning wholesale price discrimination
Abstract
Economic theory does not provide sharp predictions on the welfare effects of banning wholesale price discrimination: if downstream cost differences exist, then discrimination shifts production inefficiently, toward high-cost retailers, so a ban increases welfare; if differences in price elasticity of demand across retailers exist, discrimination may increase welfare if quantity sold increases, so a ban reduces welfare. Using retail prices and quantities of coffee brands sold by German retailers, I estimate a model of demand and supply and separate cost and demand differences. Simulating a ban on wholesale price discrimination has positive welfare effects in this market, and less if downstream cost differences shrink, or with less competition. Copyright (c) 2009, RAND.Download Info
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Article provided by RAND Corporation in its journal The RAND Journal of Economics.
Volume (Year): 40 (2009)
Issue (Month): 1 ()
Pages: 20-46
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Related research
Keywords:Other versions of this item:
- Villas-Boas, Sofia B, 2008. "An Empirical Investigation of the Welfare Effects of Banning Wholesale Price Discrimination," Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, UC Berkeley, Working Paper Series qt7vg17026, Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, UC Berkeley.
- Villas-Boas, Sofia B, 2006. "An empirical investigation of the welfare effects of banning wholesale price discrimination," CUDARE Working Paper Series 1017R3, University of California at Berkeley, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Policy, revised Oct 2008.
- L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
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Citations
Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.Cited by:
- Bonnet, Celine & Dubois, Pierre & Villas-Boas, Sofia B., 2009.
"Empirical evidence on the role of non linear wholesale pricing and vertical restraints on cost pass-through,"
CUDARE Working Paper Series
1089, University of California at Berkeley, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Policy.
- Bonnet, Céline & Dubois, Pierre & Villas Boas, Sofia B., 2009. "Empirical Evidence on the Role of Non Linear Wholesale Pricing and Vertical Restraints on Cost Pass-Through," IDEI Working Papers 565, Institut d'Économie Industrielle (IDEI), Toulouse, revised Sep 2011.
- Bonnet, Céline & Dubois, Pierre & Villas Boas, Sofia B., 2009. "Empirical Evidence on the Role of Non Linear Wholesale Pricing and Vertical Restraints on Cost Pass-Through," TSE Working Papers 09-067, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE).
- Celine, Bonnet & Dubois, Pierre & Villas-Boas, Sofia B., 2009. "Empirical Evidence on the Role of Non Linear Wholesale Pricing and Vertical Restraints on Cost Pass-Through," Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, UC Berkeley, Working Paper Series qt5nq6h34n, Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, UC Berkeley.
- Bonnet, Céline & Dubois, Pierre & Villas-Boas, Sofia Berto, 2010. "Empirical Evidence on the Role of Non Linear Wholesale Pricing and Vertical Restraints on Cost Pass-Through," CEPR Discussion Papers 8004, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
- Graddy, Kathryn & Hall, George, 2009.
"A Dynamic Model of Price Discrimination and Inventory Management at the Fulton Fish Market,"
CEPR Discussion Papers
7315, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
- Graddy, Kathryn & Hall, George, 2011. "A dynamic model of price discrimination and inventory management at the Fulton Fish Market," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 80(1), pages 6-19.
- Kathryn Graddy & George Hall, 2009. "A Dynamic Model of Price Discrimination and Inventory Management at the Fulton Fish Market," NBER Working Papers 15019, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
- Igal Hendel & Aviv Nevo, 2011. "Intertemporal Price Discrimination in Storable Goods Markets," NBER Working Papers 16988, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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- Karp, Larry & Perloff, Jeffrey, 2011. "The iPhone Goes Downstream: Mandatory Universal Distribution∗," Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, UC Berkeley, Working Paper Series qt7vc007jh, Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, UC Berkeley.
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