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Spatial clustering and market power: Evidence from the retail gasoline market

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  • Pennerstorfer, Dieter
  • Weiss, Christoph

Abstract

We investigate the impact of local market power and ‘spatial clustering’ on prices in the retail gasoline market. The acquisition of Aral stations from BP in the Austrian gasoline market in 2003 provides a ‘quasi-experiment’ for identification of the causal effects of changes in spatial clustering on retail prices for a panel of gasoline stations. Our econometric analysis suggests that spatial clustering of gasoline stations reduces the degree of competition between firms and increases equilibrium prices. Merger simulations show that ignoring merger-induced changes in spatial characteristics will lead to a significant bias in the evaluation of merger effects.

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  • Pennerstorfer, Dieter & Weiss, Christoph, 2013. "Spatial clustering and market power: Evidence from the retail gasoline market," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(4), pages 661-675.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:regeco:v:43:y:2013:i:4:p:661-675
    DOI: 10.1016/j.regsciurbeco.2013.04.002
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    Cited by:

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    3. Firgo, Matthias & Pennerstorfer, Dieter & Weiss, Christoph R., 2015. "Centrality and pricing in spatially differentiated markets: The case of gasoline," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 81-90.
    4. Bernardo, Valeria & Borrell, Joan-Ramon & Perdiguero, Jordi, 2016. "Fast charging stations: Simulating entry and location in a game of strategic interaction," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 293-305.
    5. Dieter Pennerstorfer & Franz Sinabell, 2013. "Spatial Price Differentiation and Regional Market Power. The Case of Food-Retailing in Austria," WIFO Working Papers 458, WIFO.
    6. Firgo, Matthias & Kügler, Agnes, 2018. "Cooperative pricing in spatially differentiated markets," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 51-67.
    7. Adriana Nikolic & Christoph Weiss, 2014. "Spatial interactions in location decisions: Empirical evidence from a Bayesian spatial probit model," Department of Economics Working Papers wuwp177, Vienna University of Economics and Business, Department of Economics.
    8. González, Xulia & Moral, María J., 2019. "Effects of antitrust prosecution on retail fuel prices," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    9. Vásquez Cordano, Arturo Leonardo & Rojas, Pedro & Aurazo, José, 2021. "Pricing Coordination in a Spatial Context: Evidence from the Retail Vehicular Natural Gas Market of Peru," Documentos de Trabajo 006, Escuela de Postgrado GERENS.
    10. Reigadinha, Tânia & Godinho, Pedro & Dias, Joana, 2017. "Portuguese food retailers – Exploring three classic theories of retail location," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 102-116.
    11. Pennerstorfer, Dieter, 2017. "Can competition keep the restrooms clean? Price, quality and spatial competition," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 117-136.
    12. Bergantino, Angela Stefania & Capozza, Claudia & Intini, Mario, 2018. "Empirical investigation of retail gasoline prices," Working Papers 18_5, SIET Società Italiana di Economia dei Trasporti e della Logistica.
    13. Alderighi, Marco & Nicolini, Marcella, 2022. "Strategic information disclosure in vertical markets," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    14. Chang, Kai & Zhang, Chao, 2018. "Asymmetric dependence structure between emissions allowances and wholesale diesel/gasoline prices in emerging China's emissions trading scheme pilots," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 124-136.
    15. Sylvain Benoît & Yannick Lucotte & Sébastien Ringuedé, 2019. "Competition and price stickiness: Evidence from the French retail gasoline market," Working Papers hal-02292332, HAL.
    16. Michal Kvasnička, 2022. "Can we ignore spatial dependence when evaluating mergers?," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 62(3), pages 1323-1344, March.
    17. Bergantino, Angela S. & Capozza, Claudia & Intini, Mario, 2020. "Empirical investigation of retail fuel pricing: The impact of spatial interaction, competition and territorial factors," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    18. 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).
    19. Michal Kvasnička & Rostislav Staněk & Ondřej Krčál, 2018. "Is the Retail Gasoline Market Local or National?," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 18(1), pages 47-58, March.
    20. Dieter Pennerstorfer, 2014. "Price and Quality Competition in Spatial Markets. The Case of Camping Sites," WIFO Working Papers 466, WIFO.
    21. Zirgulis Aras, 2016. "The Impact of Oil Refinery Market Power on Retail Fuel Prices in the European Union," Ekonomika (Economics), Sciendo, vol. 95(3), pages 37-51, December.
    22. 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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