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An Estimation of Consumer Benefits From the Public Campaign To Lower Cereal Prices

Author

Listed:
  • Ronald W. Cotterill

    (University of Connecticut)

  • Andrew W. Franklin

Abstract

Using monthly IRI scanner data for January 1993 to March 1998, cereal prices declined even after adjusting for trade promotions and reduced manufacturer coupons during the public campaign in 1995 and early 1996, as well as after the industry's announced shelf price reductions in Spring 1996. The gap between branded and private label prices also declined. This was due to unexpected increases in private label prices during the jawboning campaign as well as decreases in branded prices. As predicted by the Dorfman Steiner theorem, branded advertising declined when the price cuts reduced brands price cost margins. Quaker’s lower priced bagged copies of other firms’ leading brands have grown rapidly and advanced Quaker’s market share to over 10 percent, as Kellogg’s share continues to decline and General Mills’ share is stable. Consumer benefits due to lower prices for the 35-month period commencing April 2, 1995 are 2.633 billion dollars.

Suggested Citation

  • Ronald W. Cotterill & Andrew W. Franklin, 1998. "An Estimation of Consumer Benefits From the Public Campaign To Lower Cereal Prices," Issue Papers 18, University of Connecticut, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Charles J. Zwick Center for Food and Resource Policy.
  • Handle: RePEc:zwi:ipaper:18
    as

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    File URL: http://www.zwickcenter.uconn.edu/documents/issuepapers/ip18.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ronald W. Cotterill & Andrew W. Franklin & Lawrence E. Haller, 1994. "Harvesting and Tacit Collusion in the Breakfast Cereal Industry: A Case Study of Nabisco Shredded Wheat and Post Grape Nuts," Issue Papers 06, University of Connecticut, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Charles J. Zwick Center for Food and Resource Policy.
    2. Cotterill, Ronald & Franklin, Andrew & Haller, Lawrence, 1994. "Harvesting and Tacit Collusion in the Breakfast Cereal Industry: A Case Study of Nabisco Shredded Wheat and Post Grape Nuts," Issue Papers 160504, University of Connecticut, Food Marketing Policy Center.
    3. MacDonald, James M., 1995. "Consumer Price Index Overstates Food-Price Inflation," Food Review/ National Food Review, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, vol. 18(3), September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Cotterill, Ronald W & Putsis, William P, Jr & Dhar, Ravi, 2000. "Assessing the Competitive Interaction between Private Labels and National Brands," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 73(1), pages 109-137, January.
    2. repec:zwi:journl:v:41:y:2012:i:1:p:1-11 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Jing Li & Edward C. Jaenicke & Tobenna D. Anekwe & Alessandro Bonanno, 2018. "Demand for ready‐to‐eat cereals with household‐level censored purchase data and nutrition label information: A distance metric approach," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(4), pages 687-713, October.
    4. Ronald W. Cotterill, 2007. "Market Definition and Market Power in the British Supermarket Industry," Food Marketing Policy Center Research Reports 098, University of Connecticut, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Charles J. Zwick Center for Food and Resource Policy.
    5. Michel, Christian, 2013. "Identification and Estimation of Intra-Firm and Industry Competition via Ownership Change," VfS Annual Conference 2013 (Duesseldorf): Competition Policy and Regulation in a Global Economic Order 80488, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    6. Chidmi, Benaissa & Lopez, Rigoberto A. & Cotterill, Ronald W., 2009. "The Retail Service, The Market Power, and the Vertical Relationships in Breakfast Cereals Industry," 2009 Conference, August 16-22, 2009, Beijing, China 51770, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    7. C. Akbay & E. Jones, 2006. "Demand elasticities and price-cost margin ratios for grocery products in different socioeconomic groups," Agricultural Economics, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 52(5), pages 225-235.
    8. Goddard, Ellen W. & Shank, Benjamin & Panter, Chris & Nilsson, Tomas K.H. & Cash, Sean B., 2007. "Canadian Chicken Industry: Consumer Preferences, Industry Structure and Producer Benefits from Investment in Research and Advertising," Project Report Series 52088, University of Alberta, Department of Resource Economics and Environmental Sociology.
    9. Cotterill, Ronald W., 2012. "The Evolution of Quantitative Food Marketing Policy: A Public Perspective," Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association, vol. 41(1), pages 1-11, April.
    10. Christian, Michel, 2013. "Identification and Estimation of Intra-Firm and Industry Competition via Ownership Change," Discussion Paper Series of SFB/TR 15 Governance and the Efficiency of Economic Systems 409, Free University of Berlin, Humboldt University of Berlin, University of Bonn, University of Mannheim, University of Munich.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    jawboning; net of trade promotion prices; price trend lines; branded cereal; private label cereal; advertising; manufacturer coupons.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L10 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - General
    • L41 - Industrial Organization - - Antitrust Issues and Policies - - - Monopolization; Horizontal Anticompetitive Practices
    • L66 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing - - - Food; Beverages; Cosmetics; Tobacco

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