Prices, Spatial Competition, and Heterogeneous Producers: An Empirical Test

Chad Syverson

Working Papers from U.S. Census Bureau, Center for Economic Studies

Abstract: In markets where spatial competition is important, many models predict that average prices are lower in denser markets (i.e., those with more producers per unit area). Homogeneous-producer models attribute this effect solely to lower optimal markups. However, when producers instead differ in their production costs, a second mechanism also acts to lower equilibrium prices: competition-driven selection on costs. Consumers’ greater substitution possibilities in denser markets make it more difficult for high-cost firms to profitably operate, truncating the equilibrium cost (and price) distributions from above. This selection process can be empirically distinguished from the homogenous-producer case because it implies that not only do average prices fall as density rises, but that upper-bound prices and price dispersion should also decline as well. I find empirical support for this process using a rich set of price data from U.S. ready-mixed concrete plants. Features of the industry offer an arguably exogenous source of producer density variation with which to identify these effects. I also show that the findings do not simply result from lower factor prices in dense markets, but rather because dense-market producers are low-cost because they are more efficient.

Pages: 31 pages
Date: 2004-08
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-com, nep-geo, nep-ind and nep-ure
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (14)

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https://www2.census.gov/ces/wp/2004/CES-WP-04-16.pdf First version, 2004 (application/pdf)

Related works:
Journal Article: PRICES, SPATIAL COMPETITION AND HETEROGENEOUS PRODUCERS: AN EMPIRICAL TEST* (2007)
Working Paper: Prices, Spatial Competition, and Heterogenous Producers: An Empirical Test (2006)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cen:wpaper:04-16

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