IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/jproda/v38y2012i3p345-353.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Productivity, returns to scale and product differentiation in the retail trade industry: an empirical analysis using Japanese firm-level data

Author

Listed:
  • Atsuyuki Kato

Abstract

This paper examines productivity and returns to scale under the assumption of monopolistic competition using Japanese firm-level data. Although differentiating products (services) is considered important in firms’ strategies and productivity growth, it has not been sufficiently investigated in previous studies. In this paper, we study this issue in two retail trade industries, department stores and supermarkets, applying the model of Melitz ( 2000 ). Our results indicate that the standard production function is not relevant to estimate productivity in imperfectly competitive markets. It also suggests that the market structure should be carefully considered in productivity analysis. In addition, product differentiation has a positive effect on firms’ revenue for the supermarkets. Furthermore, the retail trade industries possibly follow increasing returns to scale. Thus, policy measures that promote economies of scale and product differentiation should contribute to further growth in these industries. In addition, the results indicate that the regulatory reform of the retail trade industry in 2000 increased the gap between winners and losers in terms of productivity. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2012

Suggested Citation

  • Atsuyuki Kato, 2012. "Productivity, returns to scale and product differentiation in the retail trade industry: an empirical analysis using Japanese firm-level data," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 38(3), pages 345-353, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jproda:v:38:y:2012:i:3:p:345-353
    DOI: 10.1007/s11123-011-0251-1
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1007/s11123-011-0251-1
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11123-011-0251-1?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
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Tor Jakob Klette, 1999. "Market Power, Scale Economies and Productivity: Estimates from a Panel of Establishment Data," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(4), pages 451-476, December.
    2. Van Biesebroeck, Johannes, 2008. "The Sensitivity of Productivity Estimates," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, American Statistical Association, vol. 26, pages 311-328.
    3. Jan De Loecker & Frederic Warzynski, 2012. "Markups and Firm-Level Export Status," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 102(6), pages 2437-2471, October.
    4. Jan De Loecker, 2011. "Product Differentiation, Multiproduct Firms, and Estimating the Impact of Trade Liberalization on Productivity," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 79(5), pages 1407-1451, September.
    5. Klette, Tor Jakob & Griliches, Zvi, 1996. "The Inconsistency of Common Scale Estimators When Output Prices Are Unobserved and Endogenous," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 11(4), pages 343-361, July-Aug..
    6. Ralf Martin, 2005. "Productivity Dispersion, Competition and Productivity Measurement," CEP Discussion Papers dp0692, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    7. repec:bla:jindec:v:47:y:1999:i:4:p:451-76 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Martin, Ralf, 2010. "Productivity spreads, market power spreads and trade," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 48912, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    9. KWON Hyeog Ug & Kim Young Gak, 2008. "The Productivity Dynamics of Japanese Commerce: An empirical analysis based on microdata from the basic survey of Japanese business structure and activities (Japanese)," Discussion Papers (Japanese) 08058, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    10. Ackerberg, Daniel & Caves, Kevin & Frazer, Garth, 2006. "Structural identification of production functions," MPRA Paper 38349, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. repec:ebl:ecbull:v:12:y:2006:i:6:p:1-11 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. KIM Young Gak & KWON Hyeog Ug & FUKAO Kyoji, 2007. "Entry and Exit of Companies and Establishments, and Productivity at the Industry Level (Japanese)," Discussion Papers (Japanese) 07022, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    13. James Levinsohn & Amil Petrin, 2003. "Estimating Production Functions Using Inputs to Control for Unobservables," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 70(2), pages 317-341.
    14. Wooldridge, Jeffrey M., 2009. "On estimating firm-level production functions using proxy variables to control for unobservables," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 104(3), pages 112-114, September.
    15. Timothy J. Richards & Stephen F. Hamilton, 2006. "Rivalry in Price and Variety among Supermarket Retailers," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 88(3), pages 710-726.
    16. KWON Hyeog Ug & NARITA Futoshi & NARITA Machiko, 2009. "Resource Reallocation and Zombie Lending in Japan in the '90s," Discussion papers 09052, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    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. MORIKAWA Masayuki, 2019. "Price Competition vs. Quality Competition: Evidence from a Survey," Discussion papers 19075, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    2. Morikawa, Masayuki, 2021. "Price competition vs. quality competition: Evidence from firm surveys," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).

    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. Richard Fabling & David C Maré, 2015. "Production function estimation using New Zealand’s Longitudinal Business Database," Working Papers 15_15, Motu Economic and Public Policy Research.
    2. Kılınç, Umut, 2014. "Estimating entrants' productivity when prices are unobserved," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 640-647.
    3. Dobbelaere, Sabien & Kiyota, Kozo & Mairesse, Jacques, 2015. "Product and labor market imperfections and scale economies: Micro-evidence on France, Japan and the Netherlands," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(2), pages 290-322.
    4. Jan De Loecker & Frederic Warzynski, 2012. "Markups and Firm-Level Export Status," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 102(6), pages 2437-2471, October.
    5. Jan De Loecker & Pinelopi K. Goldberg & Amit K. Khandelwal & Nina Pavcnik, 2016. "Prices, Markups, and Trade Reform," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 84, pages 445-510, March.
    6. Florin Maican & Matilda Orth, 2017. "Productivity Dynamics and the Role of ‘Big-Box’ Entrants in Retailing," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 65(2), pages 397-438, June.
    7. Gornig, Martin & Schiersch, Alexander, 2019. "Agglomeration economies and firm TFP: different effects across industries," VfS Annual Conference 2019 (Leipzig): 30 Years after the Fall of the Berlin Wall - Democracy and Market Economy 203597, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    8. Alessandro Borin & Michele Mancini, 2016. "Foreign direct investment and firm performance: an empirical analysis of Italian firms," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 152(4), pages 705-732, November.
    9. Harris, Richard & Moffat, John, 2011. "Plant-level determinants of total factor productivity in Great Britain, 1997-2006," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 33561, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    10. Flora Bellone & Patrick Musso & Lionel Nesta & Frederic Warzynski, 2016. "International trade and firm-level markups when location and quality matter," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 16(1), pages 67-91.
    11. Amoroso, S., 2013. "Heterogeneity of innovative, collaborative, and productive firm-level processes," Other publications TiSEM f5784a49-7053-401d-855d-1, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    12. Bena Jan & Ondko Peter & Vourvachaki Evangelia, 2011. "Productivity Gains from Services Liberalization in Europe," EERC Working Paper Series 11/15e, EERC Research Network, Russia and CIS.
    13. Ulf Lewrick & Lukas Mohler & Rolf Weder, 2014. "When firms and industries matter: understanding the sources of productivity growth," BIS Working Papers 469, Bank for International Settlements.
    14. Emanuele Forlani & Ralf Martin & Giordano Mion & Mirabelle Muûls, 2023. "Unraveling Firms: Demand, Productivity and Markups Heterogeneity," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 133(654), pages 2251-2302.
    15. Sara L. McGaughey & Pascalis Raimondos & Lisbeth La Cour, 2018. "What is a Foreign Firm? Implications for Productivity Spillovers," CESifo Working Paper Series 7109, CESifo.
    16. Kritikos, Alexander S. & Schiersch, Alexander & Stiel, Caroline, 2021. "The Productivity Puzzle in Business Services," IZA Discussion Papers 14610, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    17. Giannis Karagiannis & Magnus Kellermann & Simon Pröll & Klaus Salhofer, 2018. "Markups and product differentiation in the German brewing sector," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(1), pages 61-76, December.
    18. Cassiman, Bruno & ,, 2013. "Profiting from Innovation: Firm Level Evidence on Markups," CEPR Discussion Papers 9703, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    19. Laurens Cherchye & Bram De Rock & Antonio Estache & Marijn Verschelde, 2015. "Efficiency Measures in Regulated Industries: History, Outstanding Challenges and Emerging Solutions," Working Papers ECARES ECARES 2015-09, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    20. Alvaro Garcia-Marin & Nico Voigtländer, 2019. "Exporting and Plant-Level Efficiency Gains: It's in the Measure," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 127(4), pages 1777-1825.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Increasing returns to scale; Monopolistic competition; Product differentiation; Productivity; Regulatory reform; C81; D24; L11;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C81 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Data Collection and Data Estimation Methodology; Computer Programs - - - Methodology for Collecting, Estimating, and Organizing Microeconomic Data; Data Access
    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity
    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:kap:jproda:v:38:y:2012:i:3:p:345-353. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    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.