IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/inm/ormksc/v27y2008i3p324-333.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Cross-Brand Pass-Through in Supermarket Pricing

Author

Listed:
  • Jean-Pierre Dubé

    (Graduate School of Business, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637)

  • Sachin Gupta

    (Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell University, Sage Hall, Ithaca, New York 14850)

Abstract

We investigate the sensitivity of cross-brand pass-through estimates to two types of pooling: across stores, and across regular price and promotional price weeks. Using the category data from Besanko, Dubé, and Gupta (2005), hereafter BDG, we find consistent support across all 11 categories for the predictive power of the wholesale prices of substitute products for retail shelf prices. A Bayesian procedure is used to address the small sample issues that arise in the absence of pooling. Even though the unpooled results render our inferences for specific cross-brand pass-through magnitudes reported in BDG as imprecise, consistent with McAlister (2007), we find significant empirical support for cross-brand pass-through. We next assess the sensitivity of cross-brand pass-through estimates to pooling. This requires us to construct a much longer time series of 224 weeks for the refrigerated orange juice category, in contrast with the 52-week samples used in BDG and McAlister (2007). We find strong empirical support for the predictive power of wholesale prices of substitute products for retail shelf prices. In addition, we find evidence of nonzero own- and cross-brand pass-through elasticities for which our inferences are much more precise. These findings are robust to the separation of regular and promotional price weeks. However, the magnitudes of own-brand and cross-brand pass-through are quite different during promotional and regular price weeks. Our results clearly show that with longer data series and more robust models that can handle small sample sizes, there is evidence of cross-brand pass-through, substantiating the findings in BDG. Finally, we comment on why our results are entirely consistent with both the theoretical and empirical literatures on category pricing and retailer behavior.

Suggested Citation

  • Jean-Pierre Dubé & Sachin Gupta, 2008. "Cross-Brand Pass-Through in Supermarket Pricing," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 27(3), pages 324-333, 05-06.
  • Handle: RePEc:inm:ormksc:v:27:y:2008:i:3:p:324-333
    DOI: 10.1287/mksc.1080.0373
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/mksc.1080.0373
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1287/mksc.1080.0373?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
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. K. Sudhir & Vrinda Kadiyali & Vithala R. Rao, 2001. "Structural Analysis of Manufacturer Pricing in the Presence of a Strategic Retailer," Yale School of Management Working Papers ysm229, Yale School of Management.
    2. David Besanko & Sachin Gupta & Dipak Jain, 1998. "Logit Demand Estimation Under Competitive Pricing Behavior: An Equilibrium Framework," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 44(11-Part-1), pages 1533-1547, November.
    3. Sam Peltzman, 2000. "Prices Rise Faster than They Fall," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 108(3), pages 466-502, June.
    4. S. Chan Choi, 1991. "Price Competition in a Channel Structure with a Common Retailer," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 10(4), pages 271-296.
    5. Sridhar Moorthy, 2005. "A General Theory of Pass-Through in Channels with Category Management and Retail Competition," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 24(1), pages 110-122, August.
    6. Eunkyu Lee & Richard Staelin, 1997. "Vertical Strategic Interaction: Implications for Channel Pricing Strategy," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 16(3), pages 185-207.
    7. Sofia Berto Villas-Boas, 2007. "Vertical Relationships between Manufacturers and Retailers: Inference with Limited Data," Review of Economic Studies, Oxford University Press, vol. 74(2), pages 625-652.
    8. K. Sudhir, 2001. "Structural Analysis of Manufacturer Pricing in the Presence of a Strategic Retailer," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 20(3), pages 244-264, October.
    9. Alan L. Montgomery, 1997. "Creating Micro-Marketing Pricing Strategies Using Supermarket Scanner Data," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 16(4), pages 315-337.
    10. Leigh McAlister, 2007. "—Cross-Brand Pass-Through: Fact or Artifact?," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 26(6), pages 876-898, 11-12.
    11. David Besanko & Jean-Pierre Dubé & Sachin Gupta, 2005. "Own-Brand and Cross-Brand Retail Pass-Through," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 24(1), pages 123-137, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Awi Federgruen & Ming Hu, 2015. "Multi-Product Price and Assortment Competition," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 63(3), pages 572-584, June.
    2. Cole, Matthew T. & Eckel, Carsten, 2018. "Tariffs and markups in retailing," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 139-153.
    3. Alexandrov, Alexei & Bedre-Defolie, Özlem, 2017. "LeChatelier–Samuelson principle in games and pass-through of shocks," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 168(C), pages 44-54.
    4. Awi Federgruen & Ming Hu, 2016. "Technical Note—Sequential Multiproduct Price Competition in Supply Chain Networks," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 64(1), pages 135-149, February.
    5. Yan Zhang & Wen Zhang, 2023. "Optimal pricing and greening decisions in a supply chain when considering market segmentation," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 324(1), pages 93-130, May.
    6. Ailawadi, Kusum L. & Beauchamp, J.P. & Donthu, Naveen & Gauri, Dinesh K. & Shankar, Venkatesh, 2009. "Communication and Promotion Decisions in Retailing: A Review and Directions for Future Research," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 85(1), pages 42-55.
    7. Øyvind Thomassen & Howard Smith & Stephan Seiler & Pasquale Schiraldi, 2017. "Multi-category Competition and Market Power: A Model of Supermarket Pricing," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 107(8), pages 2308-2351, August.
    8. Draganska, Michaela & Vitorino, Maria Ana, 2023. "Decomposing the effect of advertising: What happens in the retail channel?," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 40(1), pages 226-247.
    9. Vincent Nijs & Kanishka Misra & Eric T. Anderson & Karsten Hansen & Lakshman Krishnamurthi, 2010. "Channel Pass-Through of Trade Promotions," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 29(2), pages 250-267, 03-04.
    10. Pancras, Joseph & Gauri, Dinesh K. & Talukdar, Debabrata, 2013. "Loss leaders and cross-category retailer pass-through: A Bayesian multilevel analysis," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 89(2), pages 140-157.
    11. Kusum L. Ailawadi & Bari A. Harlam, 2009. "—Retailer Promotion Pass-Through: A Measure, Its Magnitude, and Its Determinants," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 28(4), pages 782-791, 07-08.
    12. Ramanathan, Usha & Muyldermans, Luc, 2010. "Identifying demand factors for promotional planning and forecasting: A case of a soft drink company in the UK," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 128(2), pages 538-545, December.
    13. Blakeley B. McShane & Chaoqun Chen & Eric T. Anderson & Duncan I. Simester, 2016. "Decision Stages and Asymmetries in Regular Retail Price Pass-Through," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 35(4), pages 619-639, July.
    14. Castellari, Elena & Moro, Daniele & Platoni, Silvia & Sckokai, Paolo, 2018. "Retailers’ strategies and food price dynamics: Evidence from dairy scanner data," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 212-224.
    15. Honggang Hu & Quan Zheng & Xiajun Amy Pan, 2022. "Agency or Wholesale? The Role of Retail Pass-Through," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 68(10), pages 7538-7554, October.
    16. Vardges Hovhannisyan, 2018. "A structural model of cost pass-through: the case of the US yogurt retailing," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 55(2), pages 805-830, September.
    17. Desheng Wu, 2017. "Pass-through decision analysis in a supply chain," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 257(1), pages 297-316, October.
    18. Eric T. Bradlow, 2009. "Does Everything Being Resolved Equal Nothing Gained? Bringing in the Wisdom of the Academic Crowd," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 28(5), pages 809-809, 09-10.
    19. Kusum Ailawadi & Eric Bradlow & Michaela Draganska & Vincent Nijs & Robert Rooderkerk & K. Sudhir & Kenneth Wilbur & Jie Zhang, 2010. "Empirical models of manufacturer-retailer interaction: A review and agenda for future research," Marketing Letters, Springer, vol. 21(3), pages 273-285, September.
    20. Brett Hollenbeck & Kosuke Uetake, 2021. "Taxation and market power in the legal marijuana industry," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 52(3), pages 559-595, September.
    21. Eric T. Bradlow, 2008. "—The Scientific Process at Its Best," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 27(3), pages 323-323, 05-06.
    22. Jason A. Duan & Leigh McAlister & Shameek Sinha, 2011. "Commentary--Reexamining Bayesian Model-Comparison Evidence of Cross-Brand Pass-Through," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 30(3), pages 550-561, 05-06.

    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. Vincent R. Nijs & Kanishka Misra & Karsten Hansen, 2014. "Outsourcing Retail Pricing to a Category Captain: The Role of Information Firewalls," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 33(1), pages 66-81, January.
    2. David Besanko & Jean-Pierre Dubé & Sachin Gupta, 2005. "Own-Brand and Cross-Brand Retail Pass-Through," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 24(1), pages 123-137, July.
    3. Michaela Draganska & Daniel Klapper & Sofia B. Villas-Boas, 2010. "A Larger Slice or a Larger Pie? An Empirical Investigation of Bargaining Power in the Distribution Channel," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 29(1), pages 57-74, 01-02.
    4. Sriram, S. & Kadiyali, Vrinda, 2009. "Empirical investigation of channel reactions to brand introductions," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 26(4), pages 345-355.
    5. Leigh McAlister, 2007. "—Cross-Brand Pass-Through: Fact or Artifact?," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 26(6), pages 876-898, 11-12.
    6. Vincent Nijs & Kanishka Misra & Eric T. Anderson & Karsten Hansen & Lakshman Krishnamurthi, 2010. "Channel Pass-Through of Trade Promotions," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 29(2), pages 250-267, 03-04.
    7. Donna, Javier D. & Pereira, Pedro & Trindade, Andre & Yoshida, Renan C., 2020. "Direct-to-Consumer Sales by Manufacturers and Bargaining," MPRA Paper 105773, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Honggang Hu & Quan Zheng & Xiajun Amy Pan, 2022. "Agency or Wholesale? The Role of Retail Pass-Through," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 68(10), pages 7538-7554, October.
    9. Edirisinghe, N.C.P. & Bichescu, B. & Shi, X., 2011. "Equilibrium analysis of supply chain structures under power imbalance," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 214(3), pages 568-578, November.
    10. Andrea Stella, 2014. "The Magnitude of Menu Costs: A Structural Estimation," 2014 Meeting Papers 436, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    11. Draganska, Michaela & Vitorino, Maria Ana, 2023. "Decomposing the effect of advertising: What happens in the retail channel?," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 40(1), pages 226-247.
    12. Michel Wedel & Jie Zhang & Fred Feinberg, 2015. "Implementing Retail Category Management: a Model-Based Approach to Setting Optimal Markups," Customer Needs and Solutions, Springer;Institute for Sustainable Innovation and Growth (iSIG), vol. 2(2), pages 165-176, June.
    13. Marcus Kunter & Daniel Guhl, 2010. "Die Vorteilhaftigkeit handelsgerichteter Konditionen eines Herstellers - Ein spieltheoretischer Untersuchungsansatz," Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, Springer, vol. 62(7), pages 744-769, November.
    14. Irz, Xavier & Mazzocchi, Mario & Réquillart, Vincent & Soler, Louis-Georges, 2015. "Research in Food Economics: past trends and new challenges," Revue d'Etudes en Agriculture et Environnement, Editions NecPlus, vol. 96(01), pages 187-237, March.
    15. Junhong Chu & Pradeep K. Chintagunta, 2009. "Quantifying the Economic Value of Warranties in the U.S. Server Market," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 28(1), pages 99-121, 01-02.
    16. Chan, Tat Y. & Narasimhan, Chakravarthi & Yoon, Yeujun, 2017. "Advertising and price competition in a manufacturer-retailer channel," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 694-716.
    17. Vincent R. Nijs & Shuba Srinivasan & Koen Pauwels, 2007. "Retail-Price Drivers and Retailer Profits," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 26(4), pages 473-487, 07-08.
    18. Vishal Singh & Ting Zhu, 2008. "Pricing and Market Concentration in Oligopoly Markets," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 27(6), pages 1020-1035, 11-12.
    19. Lau, Amy Hing Ling & Lau, Hon-Shiang & Wang, Jian-Cai, 2007. "Pricing and volume discounting for a dominant retailer with uncertain manufacturing cost information," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 183(2), pages 848-870, December.
    20. Krafft, Manfred & Goetz, Oliver & Mantrala, Murali & Sotgiu, Francesca & Tillmanns, Sebastian, 2015. "The Evolution of Marketing Channel Research Domains and Methodologies: An Integrative Review and Future Directions," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 91(4), pages 569-585.

    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:inm:ormksc:v:27:y:2008:i:3:p:324-333. 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: Chris Asher (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/inforea.html .

    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.