A Review of Supply Chain Prices Analyses with Emphasis on Perishable Markets

Prices at different levels of the supply chain are linked through long-run relationships and tend to differ by the marketing costs. However, several aspects intervene in making price dynamics along the supply chain quite complicated and erratic. In particular, several issues on how marketing margins evolve over time and across commodities, as well as how prices are transmitted along the supply chain are still debated. The implications for the understanding of the economy, the management of the firms, and the regulations of the markets are important and pushed scholars to dedicate particular attention to these topics. In particular, how prices evolve in the supply chain of perishable products is an intriguing challenge that has stimulated a hot debate. We review the literature on price analyses, marketing margins, and vertical price transmission with particular emphasis on perishable products (fruits and vegetables) in order to conclude on the open issues worth further investigation.