Handbook on the Economics of Retailing and Distribution

This is an impressive volume that brings together top researchers working on the economics of retailing and distribution. The content ranges from rich descriptive analyses of the key aspects of technical change driving the industry, to technical discussions of cutting edge empirical techniques. It will be a great resource, both for experts in the field, and researchers and graduate students thinking of working in the area.' - Thomas J. Holmes, University of Minnesota, US 'Despite the enormity of the retail sector and its importance to the US economy, prior to this book there was no guide to economic research issues in retailing and distribution. The Handbook on the Economics of Retailing and Distribution provides the definitive synopsis of economic and regulatory issues pertaining to this dynamic sector and defines the frontiers of the research agenda for this emergent field.' - Judith A. Chevalier, Yale University, US 'Entry and exit. Technical progress. Consumer search. Big data. If you had to choose just one sector to show the power and insight of modern economics, retail and distribution might well be it. This excellent volume merges theory, data, and econometrics to examine a fascinating industry, with a rich blend of history, abstract analysis, and case studies. Leading scholars in the field take us from first century vending machines to e-commerce in a well-edited, authoritative, and highly readable collection of survey articles.' - Jonathan Haskel, Imperial College London, UK This Handbook explores and critically examines current research in economics and marketing science on key issues in retailing and distribution. Providing a rich perspective for the discussion of public policy, contributions from several disciplines and continents range from the history of chains and the impact of multinational retailers on international trade patterns to US merger policy in the retail context, the rise of the Internet, and consumer-to-consumer sales. The chapters address methodological issues such as the structural estimation of entry games between retailers, productivity measurement when both inputs and output are not fully observable, and demand estimation with variable assortment. Policy issues explored include mergers, zoning, and the regulation of buyer power, while other chapters address some of the recent exciting developments in technology, retail formats, and data availability. The book goes on to study the changes in online retailing and 'big data', and to examine competition in specific retail sectors including gasoline stations, automobile dealerships, supermarkets, and 'big box' retail. This state-of-the-art Handbook is an essential reference for students and academics of economics and marketing science, and offers an outsider's perspective to specialists in operations research, data analytics, geography, and sociology. Contributors: V. Aguirregabiria, E. Basker, R.R. Betancourt, A. Carden, C. Courtemanche, A. Dukes, P.B. Ellickson, S.F. Ellison, L. Foster, T. Geylani, J. Haltiwanger, W. Hickman, D. Hosken, M. Hwang, R. Jing, S. Klimek, C.J. Krizan, J.H. Mortimer, C. Murry, M.D. Noel, S. Ohlmacher, A. Pozzi, H. Raff, B.T. Ratchford, F. Schivardi, N. Schmitt, H.S. Schneider, H. Smith, M.D. Smith, J. Suzuki, S. Tadelis, S. Tenn, A. Zentner