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Downstream Concentration and Producer's Capacity Choice

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  • João VIEIRA-MONTEZ

Abstract

This paper studies how buyers' integration affects the capacity choice of a producer. Contrary to "conventional wisdom", we show that, under natural assumptions, integration may lead to a higher equilibrium supply level. Our result hinges on the following trade-off: for any given level of capacity, the share of the total surplus accruing to the producer is lower when concentration is high, i.e. the hold-up is more severe. Yet, this share decreases when capacity increases. This reduces the incentives to increase capacity. The rate at which this occurs is higher when concentration is low. The second effect counteracts, and may dominate, the first. When the cost of capacity is low the equilibrium supply level is always higher when downstream concentration is high.

Suggested Citation

  • João VIEIRA-MONTEZ, 2004. "Downstream Concentration and Producer's Capacity Choice," Cahiers de Recherches Economiques du Département d'économie 04.13, Université de Lausanne, Faculté des HEC, Département d’économie.
    • Handle: RePEc:lau:crdeep:04.13
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Zhiqi Chen & Hong Ding & Zhiyang Liu, 2016. "Downstream Competition and the Effects of Buyer Power," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 49(1), pages 1-23, August.
    2. Catherine C. Fontenay & Joshua S. Gans, 2014. "Bilateral Bargaining with Externalities," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 62(4), pages 756-788, December.
    3. Inderst, Roman & Jakubovic, Zlata & Jovanovic, Dragan, 2015. "Buyer Power and Functional Competition for Innovation," MPRA Paper 61214, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Battigalli, Pierpaolo & Fumagalli, Chiara & Polo, Michele, 2007. "Buyer power and quality improvements," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(2), pages 45-61, June.
    5. Roman Inderst & Christian Wey, 2011. "Countervailing Power And Dynamic Efficiency," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 9(4), pages 702-720, August.
    6. Claire Chambolle & Sofia Villas-Boas, 2007. "Buyer Power through Producer's Differentiation," Working Papers hal-00243058, HAL.
    7. Pio Baake & Vanessa Schlippenbach, 2011. "Quality distortions in vertical relations," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 103(2), pages 149-169, June.
    8. C. Robert Clark & Mattias K. Polborn, 2011. "Strategic Buying to Prevent Seller Exit," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(2), pages 339-378, June.
    9. Rojas Christian & Lavoie Nathalie & Wang Shinn-Shyr, 2012. "Buyer Power and Vertically Differentiated Retailers," Journal of Agricultural & Food Industrial Organization, De Gruyter, vol. 10(1), pages 1-28, July.
    10. Claire Chambolle & Hugo Molina, 2021. "A Buyer Power Theory of Exclusive Dealing and Exclusionary Bundling," Working Papers hal-03231803, HAL.
    11. Claire Chambolle & Clémence Christin, 2021. "New Product Introduction and Slotting Fees," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 69(2), pages 410-442, June.
    12. Roman Inderst & Tommaso M. Valletti, 2011. "Buyer Power And The ‘Waterbed Effect’," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(1), pages 1-20, March.
    13. Hugo Molina, 2024. "Buyer Alliances in Vertically Related Markets," Working Papers hal-03340176, HAL.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    buyer integration; capacity choice; hold-up;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L10 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - General
    • L40 - Industrial Organization - - Antitrust Issues and Policies - - - General

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