Throughout history, vertical merger waves have played a crucial role in shaping industries and market structures. However, opinions on the competitive and welfare effects associated with this phenomenon differ. Some argue that vertical merger waves increase market power and enable the exclusion...

A manufacturer chooses the optimal retail market structure and bilaterally and secretly contracts with each (homogeneous) retailer. In a classic framework without asymmetric information, the manufacturer sells through a single exclusive retailer in order to eliminate the opportunism problem....