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Food Retailers' Pricing and Marketing Strategies, with Implications for Producers

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  • Li, Lan
  • Sexton, Richard J.
  • Xia, Tian

Abstract

This paper examines grocery retailers' ability to influence prices charged to consumers and paid to suppliers. We discuss how retailer market power manifests itself in terms of pricing and marketing strategies by setting forth and offering evidence in support of eight “stylized facts” of retailer pricing and brand decisions. We argue that little, if any, of this behavior can be explained by a model of a competitive, price-taking retailer, but that most of the indicated behavior was also inconsistent with traditional models of market power. Finally, we discuss the impacts of aspects of this retailer behavior on the upstream farm sector.

Suggested Citation

  • Li, Lan & Sexton, Richard J. & Xia, Tian, 2006. "Food Retailers' Pricing and Marketing Strategies, with Implications for Producers," Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 35(2), pages 221-238, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:agrerw:v:35:y:2006:i:02:p:221-238_00
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Sexton, Richard & Zhang, Mingxia & Chalfant, James, 2003. "Grocery Retailer Behavior in the Procurement and Sale of Perishable Fresh Produce," Contractor and Cooperator Reports 291974, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Carlo Russo & Rachael Goodhue, 2018. "Farmgate prices, retail prices, and supermarkets' pricing decisions: An integrated approach," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(1), pages 24-43, December.
    3. Alessandro Bonanno & Carlo Russo & Luisa Menapace, 2018. "Market power and bargaining in agrifood markets: A review of emerging topics and tools," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(1), pages 6-23, December.
    4. Anania, Giovanni & Nisticò, Rosanna, 2014. "Price dispersion and seller heterogeneity in retail food markets," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 190-201.
    5. 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.
    6. Weaver, Robert D. & Moon, Yongma, 2018. "Pricing Perishables with Uncertain Demand, Substitutes, and Consumer Heterogeneity," International Journal on Food System Dynamics, International Center for Management, Communication, and Research, vol. 9(5), December.
    7. Giovanni Anania & Rosanna Nisticò, 2011. "Price Dispersion, Search Costs And Consumers And Sellers Heterogeneity In Retail Food Markets," Working Papers 201105, Università della Calabria, Dipartimento di Economia, Statistica e Finanza "Giovanni Anania" - DESF.
    8. Richard Volpe, 2013. "Promotional Competition Between Supermarket Chains," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 42(1), pages 45-61, February.

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