The Impact of Retail Mergers on Food Prices: Evidence from France

Marie-Laure Allain, Claire Chambolle (), Stéphane Turolla and Sofia Villas-Boas

No 2013-18, Working Papers from Center for Research in Economics and Statistics

Abstract: This paper analyzes the impact of a merger in the French retail sector on food prices, using a consumer panel data. We perform a difference-in-differences analysis by comparing price changes in stores for which the local market structure is affected by the merger to unaffected stores. In addition, we empirically investigate economic forces behind the observed price changes. On average, we find that the merger significantly raised competitors' prices contemporaneously with merging firms' price increases. Further, we show that competitor prices increase more in local markets that experience larger structural changes in concentration and chain differentiation.

Keywords: Ex-post merger evaluation; Retail grocery sector; Difference-in-differences (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: K21 L11 L66 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 38
Date: 2013-12
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

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Related works:
Working Paper: The Impact of Retail Mergers on Food Prices: Evidence from France (2016)
Working Paper: The impact of retail mergers on food prices: evidence from France (2014)
Working Paper: The impact of retail mergers on food prices: evidence from France (2014)
Working Paper: The Impact of Retail Mergers on Food Prices: Evidence from France (2013)
Working Paper: The impact of retail mergers on food prices: evidence from France (2013)
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