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The effect of entry restrictions on price: evidence from the retail gasoline market

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  • Valeria Bernardo

    (University of Barcelona)

Abstract

I exploit a change in Spanish regulations to test the effect of the relaxation of entry restrictions on the equilibrium retail price of diesel. In February 2013, a Central Government reform permitted gasoline stations to operate in industrial and commercial areas. Over the following 2-year period, this deregulation led to a high number of new market entrants in these newly designated free entry areas. By isolating markets exposed to entry and markets unaffected by new entrants, and adopting a difference-in-difference approach, results show that gasoline stations exposed to a new market entrant within a one-mile radius lower their prices by an average 1.04%. This result is significant, representing almost one fifth of the average retail margin. Additionally, the results show that the reduction in the equilibrium price is caused by the first market entrant and that the effect decreases over time.

Suggested Citation

  • Valeria Bernardo, 2018. "The effect of entry restrictions on price: evidence from the retail gasoline market," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 53(1), pages 75-99, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:regeco:v:53:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1007_s11149-017-9349-3
    DOI: 10.1007/s11149-017-9349-3
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    Cited by:

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    3. Suarez, Carlos, 2022. "Private management and strategic bidding behavior in electricity markets: Evidence from Colombia," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    4. Carlos Suarez, 2021. "Private management and strategic bidding behavior in electricity markets: Evidence from Colombia," IREA Working Papers 202102, University of Barcelona, Research Institute of Applied Economics, revised Jan 2021.
    5. Leonardo C. B. Cardoso & Carlos Frederico A. Uchôa & Williams Huamani & David R. Just & Raúl V. Gomez, 2022. "Price effects of spatial competition in retail fuel markets: the impact of a new rival nearby," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 101(1), pages 81-105, February.
    6. Pan, Changchun & Huang, Yuzhe & Jin, Long, 2023. "Market entry deregulation and corporate vertical specialization: Evidence from China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    7. Balaguer, Jacint & Ripollés, Jordi, 2020. "Do classes of gas stations contribute differently to fuel prices? Evidence to foster effective competition in Spain," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Gasoline retail market; Entry restrictions; Price competition; Public policy evaluation; Difference in difference;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L71 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Primary Products and Construction - - - Mining, Extraction, and Refining: Hydrocarbon Fuels
    • L51 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Economics of Regulation
    • D43 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Oligopoly and Other Forms of Market Imperfection

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