Private Labels: Supermarket Chain Buyer Power in Action

Ronald Cotterill (), Michael Cohen and Li Tian

No 149188, Research Reports from University of Connecticut, Food Marketing Policy Center

Abstract: The issue of supermarket chain power in wholesale markets has been around at least since the 1930’s when A&P surfaced as a nationwide chain with centralized buying (Adelman, 1959). Curiously those that complained the loudest were not firms that sold to supermarkets. Small retailers, who were unable to wrest concessions from brand manufacturers or wholesalers of fresh fruits and vegetables, alleged that large chain buyer power was driving them out of business. Consequently the Robinson Patman Act (1936) was passed to monitor the exercise of buyer power and its impact on smaller retailers as well as sellers. Enforcement has always been a thorny exercise because cost justified large buyer discounts are not illegal.

Keywords: Demand; and; Price; Analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 29
Date: 2006-11
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/149188/files/rr96.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:uconnr:149188

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.149188

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Research Reports from University of Connecticut, Food Marketing Policy Center Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by AgEcon Search ().