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Predicting the impact of upstream mergers on downstream markets with an application to the retail gasoline industry

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  • Manuszak, Mark D.

Abstract

This paper presents an empirical model of oligopolistic supply and demand that reflects divisions between downstream retailers and upstream suppliers in order to evaluate the potential effects of upstream mergers. The demand model allows for downstream product differentiation, while the supply model allows upstream firms to inherit market power from their affiliated retailers. The supply and demand models are jointly estimated using data on the retail gasoline industry for the Hawaiian islands in the 1990s. A number of hypothetical upstream mergers in the Hawaiian retail gasoline industry are simulated to evaluate the effects of the mergers on market outcomes and welfare. Various scenarios with post-merger cost savings are also considered.

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  • Manuszak, Mark D., 2010. "Predicting the impact of upstream mergers on downstream markets with an application to the retail gasoline industry," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 99-111, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:indorg:v:28:y:2010:i:1:p:99-111
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    1. Nilsen, Øivind Anti & Sørgard, Lars & Ulsaker, Simen A., 2016. "Upstream merger in a successive oligopoly: Who pays the price?," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 143-172.
    2. Steen, Frode & Nguyen-Ones, Mai, 2018. "Measuring Market Power in Gasoline Retailing: A Market- or Station Phenomenon?," CEPR Discussion Papers 12879, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
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    4. Stéphane Turolla, 2016. "Spatial Competition in the French Supermarket Industry," Annals of Economics and Statistics, GENES, issue 121-122, pages 213-259.
    5. Raúl Bajo-Buenestado & Miguel Ángel Borrella-Mas, 2022. "The Heterogeneous Tax Pass-Through Under Different Vertical Relationships," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 132(645), pages 1684-1708.
    6. Yangsoo Jin, 2014. "Testing Oil Refiners' Conduct in Korea: A Differentiated Product Approach," Asian Economic Journal, East Asian Economic Association, vol. 28(2), pages 161-180, June.
    7. Li, Jia & Moul, Charles C., 2015. "Who should handle retail? Vertical contracts, customer service, and social welfare in a Chinese mobile phone market," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 29-43.
    8. Nguyen-Ones , Mai & Steen, Frode, 2018. "Market Power in Retail Gasoline Markets," Discussion Paper Series in Economics 21/2019, Norwegian School of Economics, Department of Economics, revised 01 Jul 2019.
    9. Demet Yilmazkuday & Hakan Yilmazkuday, 2016. "Understanding gasoline price dispersion," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 57(1), pages 223-252, July.
    10. Bruzikas, Tadas & Soetevent, Adriaan, 2014. "Detailed data and changes in market structure," Research Report 14027-EEF, University of Groningen, Research Institute SOM (Systems, Organisations and Management).
    11. Tadas Bruzikas & Adriaan R. Soetevent, 2014. "Detailed Data and Changes in Market Structure: The Move to Unmanned Gasoline Service Stations," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 14-123/VII, Tinbergen Institute.
    12. Erdős, Katalin & Baczur, Roland & Kehl, Dániel & Farkas, Richárd, 2022. "When post-merger price effect becomes smoothed over time: A case of a gasoline market merger," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 105(C).
    13. Mariano Tappata & Jing Yan, 2017. "Competition in Retail Petrol Markets," Australian Economic Papers, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(3), pages 201-218, September.
    14. Alderighi, Marco & Baudino, Marco, 2015. "The pricing behavior of Italian gas stations: Some evidence from the Cuneo retail fuel market," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 33-46.
    15. Martin, Simon, 2020. "Market transparency and consumer search - Evidence from the German retail gasoline market," DICE Discussion Papers 350, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics (DICE).

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