In this paper we propose a metaheuristic to solve a new version of the Maximum Capture Problem. In the original MCP, market capture is obtained by lower traveling distances or lower traveling time, in this new version not only the traveling time but also the waiting time will affect the market...

Previous covering models for emergency service consider all the calls to be of the same importance and impose the same waiting time constraints independently of the service's priority. This type of constraint is clearly inappropriate in many contexts. For example, in urban medical emergency...

In this paper we present a model that studies firm mergers in a spatial setting. A new model is formulated that addresses the issue of finding the number of branches that have to be eliminated by a firm after merging with another one, in order to maximize profits. The model is then applied to an...

This paper introduces the approach of using TURF analysis to design a product line through a binary linear programming model. This improves the efficiency of the search for the solution to the problem compared to the algorithms that have been used to date. Furthermore, the proposed technique...

Most facility location decision models ignore the fact that for a facility to survive it needs a minimum demand level to cover costs. In this paper we present a decision model for a firm that wishes to enter a spatial market where there are several competitors already located. This market is...

A new direction of research in Competitive Location theory incorporates theories of Consumer Choice Behavior in its models. Following this direction, this paper studies the importance of consumer behavior with respect to distance or transportation costs in the optimality of locations obtained by...

The Maximum Capture problem (MAXCAP) is a decision model that addresses the issue of location in a competitive environment. This paper presents a new approach to determine which store?s attributes (other than distance) should be included in the new Market Capture Models and how they ought to be...

Models are presented for the optimal location of hubs in airline networks, that take into consideration the congestion effects. Hubs, which are the most congested airports, are modeled as M/D/c queuing systems, that is, Poisson arrivals, deterministic service time, and {\em c} servers. A formula...

In this paper we address the issue of locating hierarchical facilities in the presence of congestion. Two hierarchical models are presented, where requests are attended first by lower level servers, and then some of the served customers are referred to higher level servers. In the first model,...