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Economics at the FTC: Fertilizer, Consumer Complaints, and Private Label Cereal

Author

Listed:
  • Andrew Sweeting

    (Federal Trade Commission, Bureau of Economics)

  • David J. Balan

    (Federal Trade Commission, Bureau of Economics)

  • Nicholas Kreisle

    (Federal Trade Commission, Bureau of Economics)

  • Matthew T. Panhans

    (Federal Trade Commission, Bureau of Economics)

  • Devesh Raval

    (Federal Trade Commission, Bureau of Economics)

Abstract

Staff in the FTC’s Bureau of Economics perform economic analyses to support the Commission’s missions to protect consumers and maintain competition. Staff contributions include both original economic research and theoretical and empirical analysis in specific matters where the Commission has to decide whether to take enforcement actions. This article describes: retrospective research of a consummated merger in the fertilizer industry; a novel analysis of the government’s consumer complaint data to understand how frauds affect different demographic groups; and casework that supported a decision to challenge a merger of private label ready-to-eat cereal manufacturers.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrew Sweeting & David J. Balan & Nicholas Kreisle & Matthew T. Panhans & Devesh Raval, 2020. "Economics at the FTC: Fertilizer, Consumer Complaints, and Private Label Cereal," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 57(4), pages 751-781, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:revind:v:57:y:2020:i:4:d:10.1007_s11151-020-09792-w
    DOI: 10.1007/s11151-020-09792-w
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Nevo, Aviv, 2001. "Measuring Market Power in the Ready-to-Eat Cereal Industry," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 69(2), pages 307-342, March.
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    3. Froeb, Luke M. & Werden, Gregory J., 1998. "A robust test for consumer welfare enhancing mergers among sellers of a homogeneous product," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(3), pages 367-369, March.
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    5. Devesh Raval, 2020. "Whose Voice Do We Hear in the Marketplace? Evidence from Consumer Complaining Behavior," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 39(1), pages 168-187, January.
    6. Fuglie, Keith O. & King, John L. & Heisey, Paul W. & Schimmelpfennig, David E., 2012. "Rising Concentration in Agricultural Input Industries Influences New Farm Technologies," Amber Waves:The Economics of Food, Farming, Natural Resources, and Rural America, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, issue 04, pages 1-6.
    7. Orley C. Ashenfelter & Daniel S. Hosken & Matthew C. Weinberg, 2013. "The Price Effects of a Large Merger of Manufacturers: A Case Study of Maytag-Whirlpool," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 5(1), pages 239-261, February.
    8. Matthew Weinberg, 2008. "The Price Effects Of Horizontal Mergers," Journal of Competition Law and Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 4(2), pages 433-447.
    9. Devesh Raval, 2020. "Which Communities Complain To Policymakers? Evidence From Consumer Sentinel," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 58(4), pages 1628-1642, October.
    10. Barton, David M & Sherman, Roger, 1984. "The Price and Profit Effects of Horizontal Merger: A Case Study," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(2), pages 165-177, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Panhans, Matthew T. & Taragin, Charles, 2023. "Consequences of model choice in predicting horizontal merger effects," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    2. Smith, Howard & Beckert, Walter & Takahashi, Yuya, 2020. "Competition in a spatially-differentiated product market with negotiated prices," CEPR Discussion Papers 15379, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.

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