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Does Increasing the Market Share of Smaller Firms Result in Lower Prices? Empirical Evidence from the Canadian Retail Gasoline Industry

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  • Anindya Sen

Abstract

Some recent policy initiatives aimed at preserving the market share of smaller or independent gasoline retailers have either been implemented or proposed in both Canada and the United States. Employing monthly data on average retail prices and market shares across eleven Canadian cities between 1991 and 1997, I find that more aggregate market share in the hands of independent retailers is correlated with higher retail prices, but indirectly associated with lower prices through the corresponding fall in market concentration among vertically integrated firms. The sum of these impacts is negative as indirect effects are larger in magnitude than corresponding direct effects. Copyright Springer 2005

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  • Anindya Sen, 2005. "Does Increasing the Market Share of Smaller Firms Result in Lower Prices? Empirical Evidence from the Canadian Retail Gasoline Industry," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 26(4), pages 371-389, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:revind:v:26:y:2005:i:4:p:371-389
    DOI: 10.1007/s11151-005-4206-4
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Justine S. Hastings, 2004. "Vertical Relationships and Competition in Retail Gasoline Markets: Empirical Evidence from Contract Changes in Southern California," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 94(1), pages 317-328, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Mark J. Holmes & Jesús Otero & Theodore Panagiotidis, 2022. "Convergence in retail gasoline prices: insights from Canadian cities," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 68(1), pages 207-228, February.
    2. Sylvain Benoît & Yannick Lucotte & Sébastien Ringuedé, 2019. "Competition and price stickiness: Evidence from the French retail gasoline market," Working Papers hal-02292332, HAL.
    3. Benjamin Atkinson, Andrew Eckert, and Douglas S. West, 2014. "Daily Price Cycles and Constant Margins: Recent Events in Canadian Gasoline Retailing," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 3).
    4. Michal Kvasnička, 2022. "Can we ignore spatial dependence when evaluating mergers?," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 62(3), pages 1323-1344, March.
    5. Mariano Tappata & Jing Yan, 2017. "Competition in Retail Petrol Markets," Australian Economic Papers, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(3), pages 201-218, September.
    6. Balaguer, Jacint & Ripollés, Jordi, 2021. "Does multimarket contact affect prices in the retail fuel industry? First empirical evidence," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    7. 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.
    8. 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).
    9. Doyle Jr., Joseph J. & Samphantharak, Krislert, 2008. "$2.00 Gas! Studying the effects of a gas tax moratorium," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(3-4), pages 869-884, April.
    10. Pichler, Eva & Böheim, Michael H., 2013. "Excise taxes on gasoline and suppliers’ market power: A note," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 118(1), pages 110-112.
    11. Andrew Eckert & Heather Eckert, 2014. "Regional Patterns in Gasoline Station Rationalization in Canada," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 14(1), pages 99-122, March.
    12. Packalen, Mikko & Sen, Anindya, 2013. "Static and dynamic merger effects: A market share based empirical analysis," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 12-24.
    13. Benjamin Atkinson, 2009. "Retail Gasoline Price Cycles: Evidence from Guelph, Ontario Using Bi-Hourly, Station-Specific Retail Price Data," The Energy Journal, , vol. 30(1), pages 85-110, January.
    14. Xulia González & María J. Moral, 2023. "Competition and Competitors: Evidence from the Retail Fuel Market," The Energy Journal, , vol. 44(6), pages 163-188, November.

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