How do Everyday-Low-Price Supermarkets Adjust Their Prices?

B-Tier
Journal: Review of Industrial Organization
Year: 2024
Volume: 64
Issue: 1
Pages: 117-146

Authors (4)

Guojun He (not in RePEc) Jeffrey T. LaFrance (not in RePEc) Jeffrey M. Perloff (University of California-Berke...) Richard Volpe (not in RePEc)

Score contribution per author:

0.503 = (α=2.01 / 4 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

Abstract Was the rapid increase and collapse of commodity prices in 2007–2009 passed through to supermarket prices symmetrically? This study is the first to address this issue for an everyday-low-price (EDLP) supermarket chain, which infrequently changes its prices and rarely has sales. We also reexamine the question for typical firms that set a usual high price and have frequent sales. We examine 25 goods that use a primary commodity (such as rice in a bag of rice). We fail to reject symmetric adjustments for very few goods for both types of stores. In addition, we find that the probability an EDLP chain adjusts its prices in response to even a large commodity price shock is low for most goods.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:kap:revind:v:64:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1007_s11151-023-09922-0
Journal Field
Industrial Organization
Author Count
4
Added to Database
2026-01-29