IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/jproda/v39y2013i2p111-122.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Evaluating food retailers using dual elasticities of substitution

Author

Listed:
  • Timothy Park
  • Johannes Sauer

Abstract

Dual elasticities of substitution from a distance function model of the food retailing establishment are developed based on multiple performance measures integrated with store characteristics, staffing decisions, and employee benefits and incentives. The impacts of organizational and competitive conditions such as store format, membership in a self-distributing chain, and the presence of a supercenter on store management decisions are evaluated. Technical substitution relationships implied by the dual Morishima elasticities confirm that moderate changes in relative shadow factor prices are associated with input adjustments in retail operations, implying that the costs of adjusting input allocations are small. Both value added and service offerings decline in the presence of a supercenter, with food retailers relying on price adjustments as a primary strategy. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media, LLC (outside the USA) 2013

Suggested Citation

  • Timothy Park & Johannes Sauer, 2013. "Evaluating food retailers using dual elasticities of substitution," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 39(2), pages 111-122, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jproda:v:39:y:2013:i:2:p:111-122
    DOI: 10.1007/s11123-012-0279-x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1007/s11123-012-0279-x
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11123-012-0279-x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Neumark, David & Zhang, Junfu & Ciccarella, Stephen, 2008. "The effects of Wal-Mart on local labor markets," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 63(2), pages 405-430, March.
    2. Roger Betancourt & Margaret Malanoski, 1999. "An Estimable Model of Supermarket Behavior: Prices, Distribution Services and Some Effects of Competition," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 26(1), pages 55-73, March.
    3. Anja Decressin & Tomeka Hill & Kristin McCue & Martha Stinson, 2009. "The Role of Fringe Benefits in Employer and Workforce Dynamics," NBER Chapters, in: Producer Dynamics: New Evidence from Micro Data, pages 473-505, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Fuss, Melvyn & McFadden, Daniel (ed.), 1978. "Production Economics: A Dual Approach to Theory and Applications," Elsevier Monographs, Elsevier, edition 1, number 9780444850133.
    5. Emek Basker, 2005. "Job Creation or Destruction? Labor Market Effects of Wal-Mart Expansion," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 87(1), pages 174-183, February.
    6. Keh, Hean Tat & Chu, Singfat, 2003. "Retail productivity and scale economies at the firm level: a DEA approach," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 31(2), pages 75-82, April.
    7. Martin Neil Baily & Robert M. Solow, 2001. "International Productivity Comparisons Built from the Firm Level," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 15(3), pages 151-172, Summer.
    8. Charles Blackorby & Daniel Primont & R. Russell, 2007. "The Morishima gross elasticity of substitution," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 28(3), pages 203-208, December.
    9. Walter Y. Oi, 1992. "Productivity in the Distributive Trades: The Shopper and the Economies of Massed Reserves," NBER Chapters, in: Output Measurement in the Service Sectors, pages 161-193, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    10. Charles Brown & James L. Medoff, 2003. "Firm Age and Wages," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 21(3), pages 677-698, July.
    11. Emek Basker & Michael Noel, 2009. "The Evolving Food Chain: Competitive Effects of Wal‐Mart's Entry into the Supermarket Industry," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(4), pages 977-1009, December.
    12. Blackorby, Charles & Russell, R Robert, 1989. "Will the Real Elasticity of Substitution Please Stand Up? (A Comparison of the Allen/Uzawa and Morishima Elasticities)," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 79(4), pages 882-888, September.
    13. Schmidt, Christoph M & Zimmermann, Klaus F, 1991. "Work Characteristics, Firm Size and Wages," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 73(4), pages 705-710, November.
    14. Fuss, Melvyn & McFadden, Daniel, 1978. "Production Economics: A Dual Approach to Theory and Applications (I): The Theory of Production," History of Economic Thought Books, McMaster University Archive for the History of Economic Thought, volume 1, number fuss1978.
    15. Oi, Walter Y. & Idson, Todd L., 1999. "Firm size and wages," Handbook of Labor Economics, in: O. Ashenfelter & D. Card (ed.), Handbook of Labor Economics, edition 1, volume 3, chapter 33, pages 2165-2214, Elsevier.
    16. Vishal P. Singh & Karsten T. Hansen & Robert C. Blattberg, 2006. "Market Entry and Consumer Behavior: An Investigation of a Wal-Mart Supercenter," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 25(5), pages 457-476, September.
    17. Roger R. Betancourt, 2004. "The Economics of Retailing and Distribution," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 3511.
    18. Paul, Catherine J. Morrison & Nehring, Richard, 2005. "Product diversification, production systems, and economic performance in U.S. agricultural production," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 126(2), pages 525-548, June.
    19. Timothy Dunne & J. Bradford Jensen & Mark J. Roberts, 2009. "Producer Dynamics: New Evidence from Micro Data," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number dunn05-1, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Timothy Park & Robert King, 2007. "Evaluating food retailing efficiency: the role of information technology," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 27(2), pages 101-113, April.
    2. Park, Timothy A., 2008. "Evaluating Labor Productivity in Food Retailing," Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 37(2), pages 288-300, October.
    3. Charles Courtemanche & Art Carden, 2014. "Competing with Costco and Sam's Club: Warehouse Club Entry and Grocery Prices," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 80(3), pages 565-585, January.
    4. Park, Timothy A., 2014. "Assessing Performance Impacts in Food Retail Distribution Systems: A Stochastic Frontier Model Correcting for Sample Selection," Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association, vol. 0, pages 1-17.
    5. Perrigot, Rozenn & Barros, Carlos Pestana, 2008. "Technical efficiency of French retailers," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 15(4), pages 296-305.
    6. P. J. Glandon & Matthew Jaremski, 2014. "Sales and Firm Entry: The Case of Wal‐Mart," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 81(1), pages 168-192, July.
    7. Matias Busso & Sebastian Galiani, 2019. "The Causal Effect of Competition on Prices and Quality: Evidence from a Field Experiment," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 11(1), pages 33-56, January.
    8. Rebecca Cleary & Jean-Paul Chavas, 2022. "Strategic supermarket pricing of private labels and manufacturer brands," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 62(6), pages 2921-2950, June.
    9. David Stern, 2011. "Elasticities of substitution and complementarity," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 36(1), pages 79-89, August.
    10. Alessandro Bonanno & Stephan J. Goetz, 2012. "WalMart and Local Economic Development," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 26(4), pages 285-297, November.
    11. Basker, Emek, 2011. "The Causes and Consequences of Wal-Mart’s Growth," Ekonomicheskaya Politika / Economic Policy, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, vol. 5, pages 110-134.
    12. Emek Basker & Shawn Klimek & Pham Hoang Van, 2012. "Supersize It: The Growth of Retail Chains and the Rise of the “Big‐Box” Store," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(3), pages 541-582, September.
    13. Paul, Saumik, 2019. "A Decline in Labor's Share with Capital Accumulation and Complementary Factor Inputs: An Application of the Morishima Elasticity of Substitution," IZA Discussion Papers 12219, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    14. Barnett, William A. & Serletis, Apostolos, 2008. "Consumer preferences and demand systems," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 147(2), pages 210-224, December.
    15. Volpe, Richard J., III, 2011. "Evaluating the Performance of U.S. Supermarkets: Pricing Strategies, Competition from Hypermarkets, and Private Labels," Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 36(3), pages 1-16, December.
    16. Caselli, Francesco, 2005. "Accounting for Cross-Country Income Differences," Handbook of Economic Growth, in: Philippe Aghion & Steven Durlauf (ed.), Handbook of Economic Growth, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 9, pages 679-741, Elsevier.
    17. Charles Courtemanche & Art Carden & Xilin Zhou & Murugi Ndirangu, 2019. "Do Walmart Supercenters Improve Food Security?," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 41(2), pages 177-198, June.
    18. Bayo-Moriones, Alberto & Galdon-Sanchez, Jose Enrique & Martinez-de-Morentin, Sara, 2008. "What Are the Factors Behind Pay Settlements? Evidence from Spanish and British Data," IZA Discussion Papers 3401, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    19. Dawei Zhang & Zhuo (June) Cheng & Hasan A. Qurban H. Mohammad & Barrie R. Nault, 2015. "Research Commentary—Information Technology Substitution Revisited," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 26(3), pages 480-495, September.
    20. Rudholm, Niklas & Li, Yuijao & Kenneth, Carling, 2018. "How Does Big-Box Entry Affect Labor Productivity in Durable Goods Retailing? A Synthetic Control Approach," HUI Working Papers 130, HUI Research.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Food retailing; Dual Morishima elasticity of substitution; Input distance function; L25; L81; J24;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L25 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Performance
    • L81 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Retail and Wholesale Trade; e-Commerce
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:jproda:v:39:y:2013:i:2:p:111-122. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.