The purpose of this study was to examine the degree of market power in the marketing chain of the broiler chicken, egg, and beef industries in Canada. The principal method of analysis tested for the existence of asymmetry. Supplementary testing included estimates of markup equations, means and coefficients of variation, elasticities of demand and price transmission, and correlation coefficients. / The findings give retailers market power in Montreal and Toronto for chicken, and in Toronto, Edmonton, and Winnipeg for beef. Vancouver retail prices for chicken and eggs were statistically independent of prices at the other levels. Processors dominated producers in the chicken markets of Montreal and Toronto, and the Winnipeg beef market. Producers showed possible dominance in the Montreal egg market. / Symmetry occurred most often in the beef and egg markets; which share the character of flat or declining consumer demand conditions. The ability to exercise market power may be determined by strong demand coupled with institutional price-responsiveness.

No description available.

Since 1970, many inner-city neighbourhoods that were the domain of low-income groups occupying cheap, dilapidated housing have attracted higher socio-economic groups. As a consequence, capital invested has increased the condition and price of inner-city housing. This phenomenon is commonly called "gentrification." This thesis reviews the gentrification literature, analyzes gentrification within an economic framework, and uses regression analysis to test the following hypothesis: There is a lag between the first statge of gentrification, the start of demographic transition, and the second stage, rising real housing prices. An increase in real housing prices can, therefore, be predicted by observing which central neighbourhoods are beginning to undergo demographic change. The intra-urban gentrification model designed for this thesis regresses the change in real housing prices during the 1970s against the change in demographics during the 1960s. The sample is 95 inner-city census tracts from Vancouver, Ottawa-Hull, and Toronto. The conclusion from statistical analysis is that rising housing prices in gentrifying neighbourhoods can indeed be predicted by observing which inner-city neighbourhoods are starting to undergo demographic change. / Business, Sauder School of / Graduate

This thesis presents an analysis of the pricing behaviour of firms in Canadian retail gasoline markets. The time series of retail prices for certain Canadian cities can be categorized as exhibiting one of two distinct patterns. In many cities, retail prices remain unchanged for many weeks at a time, despite frequent changes to the wholesale gasoline price. In other cities, retail prices cycle, increasing sharply, and declining more slowly. This thesis addresses questions arising from the observation of these patterns. The first essay considers a theoretical model of price setting behavior, and asks whether the number of stations operated by each firm in a market can determine whether constant prices or price cycles are observed. Constant prices are found to exist only when firms are of similar size. On the other hand, cycle equilibria can be constructed when the firms are of similar size, but also when their sizes differ greatly. Evidence of a negative relationship between price stability and the presence of small firms is also found through an examination of a panel data set of retail prices for a number of Canadian cities. The second essay examines the response of retail prices to wholesale price movements in the presence of a retail price cycle. A simple model based on the predictions of the theory is constructed, and estimated using data for the city of Windsor, Ontario. I find that a new cycle is initiated by a price increase whenever the distance between the previous retail price and the current wholesale price becomes sufficiently small. In addition, retail prices are found to be more responsive to wholesale prices over the increasing portion of the cycle. Finally, when the asymmetric error correction model of Borenstein, Cameron, and Gilbert (1997) is estimated, a more rapid response to wholesale price increases than to decreases is indicated. This asymmetry is shown to be consistent with my structural model, which thus provides an additional potential explanation for the regularities found in previous studies.

This thesis addresses the issue of the existence of a causal relationship between the change in the food component of the consumer price index and change in the money supply (money base and M1) by using monthly Canadian data from January 1968 to March 1997. A bivariate vector autoregressive (VAR) model is used to describe the relationship between money supply and food price on the basis of identifying the two conditions that the three series are first difference stationary series and the money stock and price series are not cointegrated. Saunders' lag order selection criterion developed from Akaikes final prediction error (FPE), and Hsiao's lag selection procedure are used to identify the order of lags of each variable in VAR model. The models perform well through all diagnostic checks. All hypotheses are tested by using the likelihood ratio statistic and the chi2-statistic. The Granger test of causality is discussed and implemented in this research. By comparing the causality results of the seasonally adjusted series with those of seasonally unadjusted series we find that they are very sensitive to the seasonal adjustment of the series. For the seasonally adjusted series there is no relationship between money base (MB) and the food component of the consumer price index (FCPI) and there is a unidirectional causal relationship between M1 and FCPI (from M1 to FCPI). But for the seasonally unadjusted series there is a feedback relationship between M1 and FCPI and there is a unidirectional flow from MB to FCPI. The difference of the results is consistent with the findings of Sargent and other writers.

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This thesis studies fourteen Canadian processed food industries and their pricing behaviour. Pricing models for each industry for the period of 1971-1977 and 1978-1984 have been established. This study also tests wether changes in a pricing behaviour occurred in the middle of 1970s in which shifts in Canada-U.S. exchange rate occured. Food prices change for several reasons. The main reasons for changes in processed food prices are expected to be changes in input costs and demand factors. Input costs consist of material, labour, capital and fuel cost. Changes in demand side - import competition and excess demand - are are important factors. This study attepmts to establish, identify, and analyze pricing models by employing such variables for fourteen Canadian processed food industries at the wholesale level. Karikari (1988) has shown that the Canadian manufacturing industries changed their pricing behaviour as the U.S.-Canada exchange rate shifted in the middle of the 1970s. This study also tests if the changes (shift) in pricing behaviour of the food processing industries took place between two sub-periods: pre-depreciation of U.S.-Canada exchange rate (1971 to 1977), and post-depreciation of U.S.-Canada exchange rate (1977 to 1984). After analyzing the characteristics of the Canadian food processing industries and the distribution channel, three economic theories - which are considered to be appropropriate in reflecting the characteristics and the pricing behsviour - have been discussed. The Mark-up Pricing Theory is employed to explain the food processors' oligopolistic pricing behaviour. From the Mark-up Pricing Theory, relative changes in mark-up, material price, labour price, energy price, capital price, and productivity of each input are derived as independent variables in the pricing model while change in industrial selling price of processed foods is shown as a dependent variable. Excess demand and import competition are the main sources for the fluctuations in the mark-up factor. The Bilateral Monopoly Theory is applied to explain bargaining processes, from which prices of processed foods are determined, between processors and retailers. A shipment variable has been derived from the Bilateral Monopoly Theory as one of the substitutes for the mark-up variable. An International Trade Theory is discussed for the industries that face import competition. From this theory, it is concluded that import price would also influence Canadian food processors' markup. Also discussed is a theory on how the pricing behaviour would change in a situation in which shifts in exchange rates occur. Quarterly data in rate of changes form are used for the estimation of the pricing model. Lags are allowed for independent variables to proferly reflect the characteristics of food processors. First, assuming changes in pricing behaviour, the pricing model is regressed for each industry in each sub-period, respectively. Variables for each industry in each sub-period are selected. It seems that the finalized regression results indicate a possibility of changes in pricing behaviour. A statistical test incorporating dummy variables is used to check if the changes in pricing behaviour which occurred in the middle of 1977 are statistically significant. The results can be summarized as follows. Different variables and different lags fit for each industry in each sub-period. The material prices-in different lag forms - are the main factors that influence changes in the industry selling price. In some industries in a certain period, the material prices are not important at all; only the U.S. prices are shown as important factors. The wage - current or lagged - is an important variable in some industries (at least in one period). The shipment variables are important in most industries with a positive or a negative sign, indicating the food processors' monopolistic pricing behaviour is influenced or interupted by the foods retailers' behaviour. The U.S. price variable(s) is a significant factor in most industries. The statistical test indicates that most of the industries have experienced structural changes and/or model changes between the two periods, except poultry, sugar cane & beet, vegetable oil, brewery, and winery industries. This study, however, does not necessarily conclude that the Canadian processed foods industries' pricing behaviour was changed according to the Karikari's hypothesis. / Land and Food Systems, Faculty of / Graduate

This thesis presents an analysis of the pricing behaviour of firms in Canadian retail gasoline markets. The time series of retail prices for certain Canadian cities can be categorized as exhibiting one of two distinct patterns. In many cities, retail prices remain unchanged for many weeks at a time, despite frequent changes to the wholesale gasoline price. In other cities, retail prices cycle, increasing sharply, and declining more slowly. This thesis addresses questions arising from the observation of these patterns. The first essay considers a theoretical model of price setting behavior, and asks whether the number of stations operated by each firm in a market can determine whether constant prices or price cycles are observed. Constant prices are found to exist only when firms are of similar size. On the other hand, cycle equilibria can be constructed when the firms are of similar size, but also when their sizes differ greatly. Evidence of a negative relationship between price stability and the presence of small firms is also found through an examination of a panel data set of retail prices for a number of Canadian cities. The second essay examines the response of retail prices to wholesale price movements in the presence of a retail price cycle. A simple model based on the predictions of the theory is constructed, and estimated using data for the city of Windsor, Ontario. I find that a new cycle is initiated by a price increase whenever the distance between the previous retail price and the current wholesale price becomes sufficiently small. In addition, retail prices are found to be more responsive to wholesale prices over the increasing portion of the cycle. Finally, when the asymmetric error correction model of Borenstein, Cameron, and Gilbert (1997) is estimated, a more rapid response to wholesale price increases than to decreases is indicated. This asymmetry is shown to be consistent with my structural model, which thus provides an additional potential explanation for the regularities found in previous studies. / Arts, Faculty of / Vancouver School of Economics / Graduate

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No description available.