This study analyzes the impact of international trade on the diffusion of flexible manufacturing in a general equilibrium framework. Suppliers produce a flexible base product that can be adapted to the specific input requirements of a continuum of downstream industries. The vertical structure is...

The relationship between market integration and the degree of specialization plays a key role in many areas of economics. In contrast to previous studies, we illustrate that globalization does not necessarily lead to specialization. The analysis is conducted in an extended Dixit-Stiglitz- Ethier...

The retail sectors in many industrialized countries have experienced a large increase in concentration and the appearance of so-called \"retail deserts\", areas of low retail provision. This study addresses the role of international trade in this process. The analysis shows that by raising...