Based upon the structure-conduct-performance-approach the present paper analyses determinants of price-cost-margins over the business cycle for food industries in Germany, the USA as well as the Netherlands. Controlling for market structure variables, cyclical fluctuations in profitability are...

Substantial increases in retail concentration (particularly in Europe) raise concerns about the welfare implications for consumers. In a formal model, we argue that retailer market power reduces upstream firms incentives to introduce new products. On the basis of a survey of firms in German food...

Eine Welle von Fusionen hat die Weltwirtschaft erfasst. Allein die Dimension der bei Großfusionen genannten Summen, die nicht selten das Bruttoinlandsprodukt von Volkswirtschaften übersteigen, führen zu einem erheblichen Maß an Verunsicherung. Dies wird auch in den Überschriften von...