Despite declines in US smoking rates tobacco remains among the leading causes of preventable deaths in the US and is directly linked to chronic and mortal diseases including cancers and heart disease. With a focus on youth smoking behaviors, this paper considers contributory influences for two...

We compare the effect of anonymous social network ratings (Yelp.com) and peer group recommendations on restaurant demand. We conduct a two stage choice experiment and combine it with online social network reviews from Yelp.com and find that peers have a stronger impact on restaurant demand than...

Retailers design pricing strategies that can be characterized as a choice of store price format between offering everyday low prices (EDLP) and high / low prices (HILO). EDLP stores set prices which are constant over time, while HILO stores set prices which are higher than EDLP stores on...

Global production of biofuels has been expanding with the enduring concerns on climate change and energy security. The U.S. Congress has established a renewable fuel standard 2 (RFS2) rule that mandates annual combined production of 36 billion gallons (bg) biofuels by 2022 (USEPA, 2010). Large...

A theoretical model is developed addressing habit formation and time-inconsistent preferences in consumption of unhealthy foods. In particular, the effects of counseling in altering the consumption satiation point and lowering individual discount rates are investigated. The model highlights the...