This dissertation consists of three chapters covering topics in empirical industrial organization. The first chapter considers how consumers respond to reductions in the net weight of packaged goods. The second chapter documents the use of pricing zones among US grocery retailers. Finally, the third chapter analyzes the market power of Visa credit cards. The first chapter examines how consumers respond to product downsizing where firms increase unit prices by reducing the content of their packaging. I consider whether consumers are inattentive to reductions in package content since they tend to underuse statements of net weight. I build a structural model of consumer preferences that incorporates inattention to changes in net weight and apply it to grocery store scanner data. I apply the model to a downsizing event in the black pepper industry where the industry’s largest firm shrunk five of its products. I show that approximately half of all consumers fail to notice the reductions. With full information, consumers would switch to larger packages that provide greater welfare. In the second chapter, Joseph Simmons and I document the extent of zone pricing among top grocery retailers. Using data from grocery and home improvement retailers, we develop a machine learning algorithm that identifies pricing zones from point of sale data. We apply our method to pricing data from some of the top grocery retailers. We find that these large grocery retailers price their products using a small number of zones. Moreover, the number of zones does not change over a nine-year period, despite significant improvements in information technology during this time. This suggests that an inability to distinguish demand across stores is the primary impediment to greater price discrimination. The third chapter evaluates the market power of Visa credit cards by exploiting an event where the grocery retailer Kroger stopped accepting Visa credit cards at two of its grocery chains. I employ an event study methodology to examine how foot traffic changes at the beginning and end of the ban. I find that foot traffic decreases by six percent at the start of the ban, implying that Visa has substantial market power. Because Kroger offered price discounts and other promotions during this time, my result may represent a lower bound on the true effect. However, the results are sensitive to violations in the identifying assumptions.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact Omni channel has on the ware-house activities in a central warehouse for electronic retailers. In order to fulfill the purpose the following research questions are analyzed and answered; “What are the challenges in the warehouse activities in a central warehouse for an electronic retailer when Omni channel is utilized?” and “How can the challenges in the warehouse activities be managed in a central warehouse for an electronic retailer using Omni channel?” Methodology: The research method for this study is qualitative with an abductive approach. A single case study has been conducted based on interviews and observations. Furthermore, the literature review is based on scientific articles. The empirical findings from the case study have been a complement to the limited literature of warehouse activities connected to Omni channel. The analysis has required the authors to continuously match the empirical findings and literature in order to be able to fulfill the purpose. In order to analyze the answer the first research question an Ishikawa diagram is used. Furthermore, a tree diagram is used in order to analyze the answer for the second research question. Findings: There are various challenges identified in the warehouse activities in a central warehouse for electronic retailers using Omni channel. Furthermore, the authors identifies challenges that have an impact on the warehouse activities where Omni channel is the cause for creating the challenges. Lastly, the authors provide the reader with improvement factors in order to manage the challenges identified. Theoretical implications: The authors identify five theoretical implications for this study; large pallets, non-integrated WMS, a non-suitable picking equipment, a non-suitable layout, and packing. These challenges occur as an outcome of Omni channel and therefore can be seen as a theoretical contribution to the limited literature. Managerial implications: It is crucial for electronic retailers to identify the challenges in the warehouse activities and understand the underlying reason for why the challenges arise. Furthermore, improvement factors can be identified and implemented by an extended anal-ysis. However, modifications are required since there are various factors that can differ be-tween electronic retailers using Omni channel.

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Diss. Lund : Lunds universitet, 2010.

Examines patronage motives and product purchase patterns within the context of a mall. Specifically, determines: the relative importance consumers attach to a set of 24 patronage motives when choosing a place to shop; these shoppers’ purchase patterns of a set of 21 products; and inter and intra similarities/dissimilarities among motives and product purchase patterns. Managerial implications for mall administrators are discussed. Concludes that to enhance its appeal to variety seeking shoppers, the mall should monitor consumer buying trends and make necessary adjustments to its tenant mix. Amenities and center quality also need to be considered. Recommends further research of this type in other communities.

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En se basant principalement sur des études effectuées dans un contexte organisationnel, la littérature montre que l'intégration des canaux est la clef de réussite de toute expérience multicanal. Toutefois, très peu d'études se sont intéressées au point de vue du consommateur multicanal à ce sujet. Le consommateur multicanal est-il sensible aux efforts d'intégration des firmes multicanal ? Si oui, accorde-t-il la même importance à toutes les dimensions de l'intégration ? S'attend-t-il à une intégration parfaite des canaux de distribution d'une enseigne ? Pour répondre à ces questions, cette recherche propose un modèle intégrateur des principales dimensions de l'intégration perçue des canaux de distribution, élaboré sur la base d'une étude qualitative exploratoire. Son objectif consiste à déterminer l'impact de chacune d'entre elles sur l'évaluation globale de l'intégration, la confiance dans l'enseigne et les intentions de comportements multicanal. Nous avons choisi comme champ d'application pour le test de ce modèle, le cas des click and mortar de la filière de l'habillement et du prêt-à-porter. L'étude quantitative nous a permis de tester et de valider trois échelles de mesure élaborées dans le cadre de cette recherche. Il s'agit de l'échelle multidimensionnelle de l'intégration perçue des canaux, de l'échelle bidimensionnelle de l'évaluation globale de l'intégration et de l'échelle unidimensionnelle de l'intention d'achat cross-canal. Nous avons également adopté une approche comparative entre shoppers et clients multicanal. Elle nous a montré que les shoppers diffèrent des clients au niveau de certaines variables du modèle. De plus, les résultats empiriques nous ont permis de montrer l'impact des dimensions perçues de l'intégration dans la formation de l'évaluation globale de l'intégration, de la confiance dans l'enseigne et par conséquent des intentions de comportements multicanal. / Most based on an organizational context, previous studies show that channel integration is the key to succeed every multichannel experience. However, very few studies have focused on the consumer perspective. So does multichannel integration matter for the multichannel consumer? If so, does he find that all dimensions of integration are important? Does he expect a seamless integration of channels? To answer these questions, this research proposes an integrative model of the most important perceived integration dimensions of retailing channels. It has been developed on the basis of a literature review and a qualitative study. It aims to show the impact of each perceived integration dimension on the global evaluation of integration, trust and multichannel behaviors intentions. The quantitative study allowed us to test and validate three new-developed scales: perceived channel integration, global evaluation of integration and cross-channel purchasing intention. We have also compared multichannel shoppers and multichannel customers and showed that shoppers are different from customers. Moreover, the empirical results have shown and explained the impact of integration perceived dimensions on global evaluation of the integration, on trust and, therefore, on multichannel behaviours intentions.