Beef packing has become an extremely concentrated industry, yet studies have found that little, if any market power exists. We propose and test alternative measures of behavior that may better describe how packers control purchases from feedlots, using confidential data collected by the USDA...

Evaluations on the effectiveness of state and origin branding programs remain relatively scant and generally have not focused on specific target populations, including the fastest growing group-Hispanic consumers. This study evaluates the effectiveness of the Arizona Grown brand and the nascent...

Concentration in the beef packing industry has been rising for the past 25 years. Many studies of market power in beef packing are based on the conjectural variations framework, which depends on accurate estimates of packer input and processing costs. We propose an alternative measure of packer...

Contracting directly between produce shippers and retailers is growing in importance. Retailers seek to obtain reliable supplies, while reducing their reliance on recurring market transactions. Producers seek stable prices and market access. These private transactions diminish spot market...

The Fugi apple variety is relatively new in the U.S. As a new product, questions concern the relative impact of consumer learning by experience, by variety-specific promotion, or by generic apple promotion. Estimates show each to have a positive impact. Changes in producer surplus provide a...

Previous studies find that private labels increase retailers' bargaining power with manufacturers and allow retailers to price discriminate. We use a spatial discrete choice model to show that retailers also use store brands to create market power through store differentiation, but not as a...

A second-price Vickrey-style auction is used to determine the willingness to pay (WTP) for credence attributes found in "cause" coffees. WTP estimates were then compared with actual market price information. The results indicate positive average bids for the cause coffees. However, premiums were...