Phytosterol is a healthful ingredient that helps reduce blood cholesterol levels. It has been over ten years since the first phytosterol-enriched product, Benecol margarine, was launched in Finland in 1995; however, understanding of this product is still limited. In addition, it has been shown in the literature that health-related concerns have an influence on consumers’ decisions to consume harmful or beneficial ingredients. This study estimates the demand for three phytosterol-enriched products in the categories of margarine, orange juice and yogurt. The objectives of this study are (1) to estimate price and expenditure elasticities for phytosterol-enriched brands and comparative non-phytosterol brands, (2) to identify cannibalization effects with a proposed methodology, and, (3) to estimate the welfare effects associated with the introduction of a product. Subsuming LA/AIDS, Rotterdam, CBS and NBR demand systems, the Barten synthetic demand system is applied to margarine weekly scanner data. Phytosterol-enriched margarine brands (Benecol and Take Control) commanded significantly higher prices relative to other margarine brands. Strong substitutability among the phytosterol brands was evident as suggested by the statistically significant and relatively large compensated cross-price elasticities. Cannibalization is defined as the competition between products offered by the same firm. Cannibalization studies are important to multi-product firms because they provide insights into the benefits of offering product variety. In addition, the identification and assessment of cannibalization are integral factors for strategic decisions of new product introductions. However, there are no standard measures to identify its effects. We use the Barten synthetic demand system along with two conventional measures to illustrate that the use of cross-price elasticities derived from a flexible demand system is a viable alternative to identify cannibalization effects. The third objective analyzes the consumer welfare effects associated with a new functional food product introduction. Using the Barten synthetic model and pre- and post-introduction scanner data, we estimate direct price and variety effects associated with the introduction of a new functional food product (i.e., phytosterol-enriched product). With post-introduction data and an assumed demand structure, we also estimate indirect price effects. Our results suggest notable welfare effects consisting of a relatively small price effect and a large variety effect.

This study aims to map out how small designintensive businesses combine multiple channels to achieve competitive advantage. The internet has provided retailers with a competing channel and while this can be a source of competitive advantage, it also provides the risk of cannibalization. More and more businesses choose to apply a multi-channel strategy, but there are decisions to be made concerning this strategy as both advantages and disadvantages are to be found in a multi-channel strategy. This study is performed with a qualitative approach via semi-structured interviews with four companies applying a multi-channel strategy, exploring the perspective of the businesses. In contrast to previous research, results show that businesses tend to view a second sales channel mainly as a way of expanding the service offered in their primary sales channel. Further conclusions that can be drawn are that an integrated organizational structure and complementing channels are being used and are creating synergies. A unified view of the channels is communicated and consumers are encouraged to combine channels at a purchase. The channels are also used as tools for marketing each other. / Denna studie syftar till att kartlägga hur designintensiva småföretag kombinerar flera olika försäljningskanaler för att uppnå konkurrensfördelar. Internet har försett återförsäljare med en konkurrerande kanal till den fysiska butiken, vilket kan ge konkurrensfördelar men medför även en risk för kannibalisering kanalerna emellan. Fler och fler företag väljer nu att använda sig av en flerkanalstrategi, men vissa avväganden måste göras då både för- och nackdelar finns med implementering av en flerkanalstrategi. Studien har genomförts med en kvalitativ ansats genom semi-strukturerade intervjuer då författarna ämnar att undersöka flerkanalåterförsäljarnas egna perspektiv. I kontrast till tidigare studier visar resultaten att företagen tenderar att betrakta en andra försäljningskanal främst som ett sätt att utöka den service de erbjuder i sin primära kanal. Ytterligare slutsatser som framkommit är att en integrerad organisationsstruktur och kanaler som kompletterar varandra används och upplevs skapa synergier hos företagen. Fortsatt kommuniceras en enhetlig bild mellan kanalerna och konsumenter uppmuntras kombinera kanalerna vid köp. Kanalerna används även som marknadsföring för varandra.

This study argues that a firm's product location choice may be a function of the firm's way of splitting the product market (i.e., divisionalization) and the concern for product cannibalization at the division and the firm levels. The focus of this study is at the division level and a division's new product location choice vis-à-vis its own products (intra-divisional new product distance), the products of a rival division of competing firms (inter-firm divisional new product distance), and the products of a sister division of the same firm (intra-firm divisional new product distance). The hypotheses were tested using data on the U.S. automobile industry between 1979 and 1999. The results show that a focal division with a high level of inter-firm divisional domain overlap with a rival division, relative to the focal division's own domain, is more likely to locate its new product (here new car model) closer to that rival's existing car models. And it was also found that divisional density affects a division's new product location choice. But this study didn't find any significant role of divisional status on new product location choice. And contrary to our expectation, the results of intra-firm divisional domain overlap and new product location choice suggest that inter-divisional product cannibalization might not be such an important concern when divisions introduce their new products, as we had originally expected. By addressing the firm's competitive engagement in the context of a division's new product location choice, this study expands the basic logic of market overlap at the firm level into the unit- or division-level, and highlights how a division's new product location choice is affected by intra-firm divisional structural relationship as well as interfirm divisional structural relationship. In so doing, this study hopes to contribute to the literature on divisionalization, new product location choice, competition at the unit-level, and product cannibalization, among others.

This study argues that a firm's product location choice may be a function of the firm's way of splitting the product market (i.e., divisionalization) and the concern for product cannibalization at the division and the firm levels. The focus of this study is at the division level and a division's new product location choice vis-à-vis its own products (intra-divisional new product distance), the products of a rival division of competing firms (inter-firm divisional new product distance), and the products of a sister division of the same firm (intra-firm divisional new product distance). The hypotheses were tested using data on the U.S. automobile industry between 1979 and 1999. The results show that a focal division with a high level of inter-firm divisional domain overlap with a rival division, relative to the focal division's own domain, is more likely to locate its new product (here new car model) closer to that rival's existing car models. And it was also found that divisional density affects a division's new product location choice. But this study didn't find any significant role of divisional status on new product location choice. And contrary to our expectation, the results of intra-firm divisional domain overlap and new product location choice suggest that inter-divisional product cannibalization might not be such an important concern when divisions introduce their new products, as we had originally expected. By addressing the firm's competitive engagement in the context of a division's new product location choice, this study expands the basic logic of market overlap at the firm level into the unit- or division-level, and highlights how a division's new product location choice is affected by intra-firm divisional structural relationship as well as interfirm divisional structural relationship. In so doing, this study hopes to contribute to the literature on divisionalization, new product location choice, competition at the unit-level, and product cannibalization, among others.

[pt] O mercado de smartphones é muito sensível a preços devido à alta competitividade comercial e à constante evolução tecnológica. A elasticidade de preços e a elasticidade cruzada são fundamentais para ajustes de previsões de vendas para evitar rupturas e/ou altos volumes de estoques. Este trabalho apresenta uma proposta de modelagem para cálculo de elasticidade de preços e elasticidade cruzada utilizando variáveis causais abordando aspectos internos e externos de uma empresa operadora de serviços de telecomunicações com várias lojas próprias. A escolha das variáveis é resultante da parceria entre profissionais de Logística, Marketing e Vendas fornecendo apoio técnico aos Planejadores de Demanda. Para se calcular a elasticidade de preços, a modelagem baseada em Regressão Dinâmica indicou utilização das variáveis: preços de concorrentes internos (representando a canibalização), disponibilidade (para lançamento e phase-out de produtos), loja aberta (diferenciando dos dias de lojas fechadas com vendas nula) e fator diário (cadenciando as vendas diárias), proporcionando resultados satisfatórios e demonstrando aplicabilidade comercial do modelo proposto. / [en] The smartphone market is very price sensitive due to high commercial competitiveness and constant technological evolution. Price elasticity and cross-elasticity are critical for adjusting sales forecasts to avoid disruptions and / or high inventory volumes. This work presents a modeling proposal for calculation of price elasticity and cross elasticity using causal variables, addressing the internal and external aspects of a telecommunications service operator with several own stores. The variable s choice is the result of a partnership between professionals in Logistics, Marketing and Sales providing technical support to Demand Planners. In order to calculate price elasticity, modeling based on dynamic regression indicated the use of variables: internal competitors prices (typifying cannibalization), availability (for launching and phase-out of products), open store (differentiating from the days of closed stores with zero sales) and daily factor (daily sales rhythm), providing satisfactory results and demonstrating commercial applicability of the proposed model.

As the demand for electricity increases throughout the globe while we want to reduce the use of fossil fuels, the need for renewable energy sources is bigger than ever. In countries where solar power makes up a large part of the total energy production, the overall electricity spot price level has become lower. This thesis investigates the underlying mechanism that drives the energy market, and in specific, how the solar power impacts the electricity spot price. We present results from studies made in other markets, and introduce a Regime Switching model for explaining the impact in Sweden. We show that an increase of photovoltaics power has a price lowering effect on the daily price pattern in price area SE3 and SE4.

The 7.7 Ma Kimberly Member of the Cassia Formation is part of a succession of A-type rhyolites associated with the Yellowstone hotspot track. It was sampled by the Kimberly core that was drilled on the Snake River Plain as part of Project HOTSPOT (Shervais, et al., 2013). The Kimberly Member is a 170 m thick high-silica rhyolite lava flow containing quartz, plagioclase, anorthoclase, sanidine, augite, pigeonite, magnetite, ilmenite, zircon, and apatite. δ 18O of zircon ranges from 0 to 4.9‰ (Colón et al., 2018), typical low values for the Snake River Plain. Quartz is intensely embayed. Exsolved and resorbed pigeonite cores are mantled by augite. REE-poor apatite cores are resorbed and oscillatory zones truncated by rims with SiO2 as high as 12.8 wt% and LREEtot up to 4.7%. There are three chemically distinct feldspars. Rounded and pitted anorthoclase (Or21 Ab64 An15) mantles plagioclase (An20 to An40) cores. Sanidine (Or47 Ab48 An05) forms thin, subhedral drapes on the outer edges of anorthoclase. Sanidine also fills some of the sieved holes in plagioclase and anorthoclase. There are two chemically distinct glasses, a light glass (~95%) and a dark glass (~5%). Relative to the light glass, the dark is enriched in Al2O3 , CaO, and Na2O and depleted in Fe2O3 and K2O. The dark glass is depleted in Rb and enriched in Sr and Ba, but they have similar concentrations of the high field strength elements (Y, Zr, Nb, Hf, and Ta). LREE are slightly more enriched in the dark glass than in the light glass. Temperatures of 926°C (magnetite-ilmenite thermometry with QUILF), 894°C (pigeonite-augite pairs with QUILF), and 889°C (zircon-saturation) are calculated for the magma. Although Fe-Ti oxides appear to have equilibrated with melt before eruption, most of the other phases preserve strong evidence of disequilibrium. These complex mineral textures also indicate assimilation and mixing processes. We propose a pigeonite-bearing, dry, metasomatized, A-type granite was fragmented and assimilated by the Kimberly member, mantling exsolved pigeonite with augite. Also incorporated into the Kimberly member were volcanic xenocrysts indicative of rhyolite assimilation or magma mixing. These components are embayed volcanic quartz, and composite plagioclase-anorthoclase grains (mantled by sanidine upon assimilation). Complex zircon grains could be sourced from metasomatized rhyolite or intrusion, and complex apatite grains could be due to mixing or assimilation. We propose the distinct glass types are caused by mingling of the Kimberly magma with the melted metasomatized assimilant. This scenario demonstrates the complexity of open system processes involved in some Snake River Plain magmas.

In parallel with the popularization and widespread diffusion of the internet, interest in the concept of different business models (BM) has increased dramatically, attracting the attention of both scholars and managers alike (Dodgson, Gann and Phillips, 2013). As a result, an increasing number of businesses decide to establish themselves and compete in the digital arena (Lee, 2001); many of which are employing what is called a platform model capitalizing on the ability to operate with several BMs simultaneously (Gu, Kannan and Ma, 2018; Aversa, Haefliger, Hueller and Reza, 2021). The purpose of this study is to explore how a digital platform company can manage a diversified business model portfolio in a digital platform context. Theoretical concepts relevant to the subject were used to analyze the challenges and opportunities of operating with a diversified BM portfolio, as illustrated in our two research questions: 1) What are the challenges and opportunities in operating with a diversified BM portfolio? and 2) How could a new model be integrated into a diversified BM portfolio with B2C, B2B and B2B2C models already employed? A single case study approach was used in this study in the form of in-depth interviews with executives at a company with a diversified business model portfolio, coupled with data from annual reports and strategic documents to strengthen the empirical foundation. Even though the most commonly voiced drawbacks with a case study design often revolves around the generalizability (or lack thereof), we believe that the findings presented in this study are sufficiently generalizable and broadly applicable, especially considering the prevalence of contextually similar companies (digital companies with a platform model and diversified BM portfolios). The empirical findings highlighted several vital aspects of successfully managing a diversified BM portfolio; the importance of resource management as well as the value of creating a long-term strategy. In short, this study showed that a diversified BM portfolio can provide a) increased firm capacity utilization through effective resource allocation, b) a safeguard toward market fluctuations via multiple revenue streams, c) leverage of resources through BM exploitation and exploration and d) a source of competitive advantage as a result of the complexity of the system. However, the aforementioned benefits are not devoid of challenges. Most notably how to prevent undermining parts of the core business as a result of cannibalization, which could be managed using a Phased Integration Strategy.

This research examines the relationship between online and offline sales in an omnichannel sales environment centered around the selling of parking spaces. This dissertation consists of a pilot study followed by an expanded study. The studies delved into the effects of e-commerce additions upon traditional brick and mortar revenue channels. The parking industry was selected as the backdrop, given the high degree of current relevant concerns in this space around internet sales-related cannibalization concerns against physical stores, and given the author’s substantial access to relevant research data. Data was collected for an intervention group and a control group from a leading parking management firm with thousands of parking garages located across North America. In the pilot study, and using panel data gathered from the firm, we sought to examine the effects of an online intervention to existing aggregate revenues through the implementation of a new 3rd party e-commerce sales channel (Parkwhiz.com). Under the intervention group, data was collected on 1.7 million revenue transactions over an approximately two-year period, from 2016 through 2018 across 15 parking properties in New York City. The control group consisted of 493,950 revenue transaction entries, also spanning a roughly two-year period from 2016 through 2018, and across 28 different parking properties throughout the City of New York. A fixed-effect model was used for analyzing the data, which came with unforeseen challenges of balance, outlier concerns, and sample size. Ultimately, insignificant results were observed, but these were attributed mainly to difficulties in data structure and sample size (N = 386) of daily revenue observations. Despite those challenges, individual summary statistics showed potential strength in the primary hypothesis, and this motivated further examination. In the expanded study, an adapted approach from the pilot was used to correct for a majority of its shortcomings in the data structure, sample size, balance, and modeling. Further, several moderating components were incorporated to test practice relevant relationships between revenue, the competitive landscape, and online search sessions. Using the same primary hypothesis from the pilot study, the expanded work provided for 15 intervention group properties and 15 control group properties in New York City, with a balanced dataset of 90 days pre-intervention and 90 days post-intervention for each property examined in the year 2018 or 2019. The original hypothesis (H1A) evaluates whether or not an online intervention increases total revenue at a given location. Additional hypotheses (H1B) evaluating whether offline revenue sources are affected by the online intervention, (H2) moderation of revenue by the volume of competition using the same online channel, (H3) moderation of revenue by the volume of parking locations in the marketplace (zip code area) regardless of selling online or offline, and (H4) revenue predicted by the volume of online searches for parking occurring in the marketplace. Sample sizes ranged from N = 3,491 to 5,098 across our various regression models. Our overall H1 outcomes (across four different regression models) showed strong statistical significance with p-values less than 0.001, and moderate R^2 scores between 37%-47% for the online ParkWhiz intervention. Online intervention increases revenue per parking space in the range of $1.171 to $1.196 in the experiment. The results provide support for the proposition that adding an online sales channel to an existing body of physical parking facilities is additive, non-cannibalistic and overall productive for the business. Our H2 and H3 study outcomes were inconclusive, as the moderators were not significant. The tests of the moderating effects in H2 and H3 provided no practical results, other than perhaps anecdotal perception to supplement the other findings. The testing of H4 did show significance in the importance of the assessment of online search demand in a given zip code as an amplifier of the effect of online intervention on parking revenue. Search volume is positively related to a change in the net new revenues. Overall, the analysis generated learnings valuable for future researchers to expand upon through better data gathering, statistical models, and analysis. In totality, the desired contribution of this body of research is to provide today’s brick and mortar business manager with strategic insights into the conditions needed to make healthy e-commerce decisions, based on observable market conditions, in an omnichannel environment that combines online and offline models for maximum aggregate revenue growth. Avoidance or minimization of cannibalization between existing channels and new channels can ensure success. Our work demonstrates several critical aspects of the phenomena of successful online and offline channel cohabitation with practical conclusions for the strategic decision-maker to use in reaching that equilibrium, and leaves a discernible path for future researchers to supplement our efforts with additional moderating variables. Keywords: Omnichannel, cannibalization; externality; brick and mortar; platform; two-sided marketplace; e-commerce; parking; retail; online/offline; distribution; multi-channel; cross-channel; offline-to-online service platform, channel addition, mobile apps. / Business Administration/Strategic Management

<p>The social change, with Internet as one of its innovations, is changing the way business is conducted. The main objective is to study and get a better understanding of the use of Internet as a new sales channel when there already exist a sales channel including middlemen. A description is made covering the decision situation and three areas that are affecting the decision - relationships to the middlemen, added value in the channels, and financials. European airlines as represented i Sweden and US airlines were interviewed. For explorative purposes interviews have been made with travel agents. No primary data is collected from the travel customers. Security issues and other barriers for Internet adoption are not studied. The conclusion of the study is that managers should focus on action more than"rational decison making". If the middlemen will be bypassed it is important to communicate with them. It is also necessary to have upper management's support. One of the driving forces for implementing Internet as a sales channel in the airline industry is to create customer ownership. Three generic formats for doing so is identified - learing relationship, verical facilitator, and meta intermediary.</p>