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Prices, Promotions, and Supermarket Mergers

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  • Davis David E.

    (South Dakota State University)

Abstract

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Davis David E., 2010. "Prices, Promotions, and Supermarket Mergers," Journal of Agricultural & Food Industrial Organization, De Gruyter, vol. 8(1), pages 1-27, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:bpj:bjafio:v:8:y:2010:i:1:n:8
    DOI: 10.2202/1542-0485.1312
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    1. Marie-Laure Allain & Claire Chambolle & Stéphane Turolla & Sofia B. Villas-Boas, 2017. "Retail Mergers and Food Prices: Evidence from France," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 65(3), pages 469-509, September.
    2. Metin Çakır & William G. Secor, 2018. "Heterogeneous impacts from a retail grocery acquisition: Do national and store brand prices respond differently?," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(3), pages 524-541, June.
    3. Marie-Laure Allain & Claire Chambolle & Stéphane Turolla & Sofia Villas-Boas, 2013. "The Impact of Retail Mergers on Food Prices: Evidence from France," Working Papers hal-00920460, HAL.
    4. Tiago Pires & André Trindade, 2018. "Ex-post Evaluation of Mergers in the Supermarket Industry," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 52(3), pages 473-496, May.
    5. Rahkovsky Ilya & Volpe Richard, 2018. "Structure and Food Price Inflation," Journal of Agricultural & Food Industrial Organization, De Gruyter, vol. 16(1), pages 1-16, January.
    6. Secor, William & Çakır, Metin, 2016. "Impacts from a retail grocery acquisition: Do national and store brand prices respond differently?," 2016 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Boston, Massachusetts 235945, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    7. Stephen Martin, 2012. "Market Structure and Market Performance," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 40(2), pages 87-108, March.

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