Indivisibilities in Distribution

Thomas Holmes () and Ethan Singer

No 739, Working Papers from Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis

Abstract: This paper develops and estimates a model of indivisibilities in shipping and economies of scale in consolidation. It uses highly detailed data on imports where it is possible to observe the contents of individual containers. In the model, ?rms are able to adapt to indivisibility constraints by using consolidation strategies and by making adjustments to shipment size. The ?rm determines the optimal number of domestic ports to use, taking into account that adding more ports lowers inland freight cost, at the expense of a higher indivisibility cost. The estimated model is able to roughly account for Walmart?s port choice behavior. The model estimates are used to evaluate how mergers or dissolutions of ?rms or countries, and changes in variety, affect indivisibility costs and inland freight costs.

Keywords: Indivisibilities; Scale economies; Technological change; Walmart (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: F14 L10 R40 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 70 pages
Date: 2017-03-13
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-tre
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Related works:
Working Paper: Indivisibilities in Distribution (2018)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:fip:fedmwp:739

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