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Selling Gasoline as a By-Product: The Impact of Market Structure on Local Prices

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  • Haucap, Justus
  • Heimeshoff, Ulrich
  • Siekmann, Manuel

Abstract

We use a novel data set with exact price quotes from virtually all German gasoline stations to empirically investigate how a temporary variance in local market structure induced by restricted opening hours of specific players affects price competition. We find that, during their hours of opening, they have a significant negative price effect on nearby competitors.

Suggested Citation

  • Haucap, Justus & Heimeshoff, Ulrich & Siekmann, Manuel, 2017. "Selling Gasoline as a By-Product: The Impact of Market Structure on Local Prices," VfS Annual Conference 2017 (Vienna): Alternative Structures for Money and Banking 168198, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:vfsc17:168198
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Neukirch Arne & Wein Thomas, 2019. "Price Gouging at the Pump? The Lerner Index and the German Fuel Market," Review of Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 70(2), pages 157-192, August.
    2. Palencia-González, Francisco J. & Navío-Marco, Julio & Juberías-Cáceres, Gema, 2020. "Analysis of brand influence in the rockets and feathers effect using disaggregated data," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    3. Horvath, Marco, 2019. "Germany's market transparency unit for fuels: Fostering collusion or competition?," Ruhr Economic Papers 836, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    4. Anna Goeddeke & Justus Haucap & Annika Herr & Christian Wey, 2018. "Flexibility in Wage Setting Under the Threat of Relocation," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 32(1), pages 1-22, March.
    5. Céline Bonnet & Jan Philip Schain, 2020. "An Empirical Analysis Of Mergers: Efficiency Gains And Impact On Consumer Prices," Journal of Competition Law and Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 16(1), pages 1-35.
    6. Siekmann, Manuel, 2017. "Characteristics, causes, and price effects: Empirical evidence of intraday Edgeworth cycles," DICE Discussion Papers 252, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics (DICE).
    7. Michael D. Noel, 2019. "Calendar synchronization of gasoline price increases," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(2), pages 355-370, April.
    8. 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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    • L71 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Primary Products and Construction - - - Mining, Extraction, and Refining: Hydrocarbon Fuels

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