Promotions are at the same time beloved and feared by both food retailers and branded goods manufacturers in today’s retail environment. Beloved because they attract smart customers and generate an immediate effect on a brand’s sale. Feared because there is uncertainty about the...

Analyzing a sequential bargaining framework with one retailer and two suppliers of substitutable goods, we show that slotting fees may emerge as a result of a rent-shifting mechanism when consumer shopping costs are taken into account. If consumers economize on their shopping costs by bundling...