Cette thèse est composée de trois essaies portant sur l'analyse empirique de la grande distribution et le comportement d'achat des consommateurs. Le premier chapitre est dédié à l'étude des programmes de fidélité des supermarchés et leur impact sur la demande de marques de distributeur (MDD). Souvent les supermarchés lient les avantages fidélité à l'achat en marques de distributeurs, quelles sont les motivations des supermarchés à faire cela? C'est la question que cette étude cherche à répondre d'un point de vue empirique. Je travaille sur des données extraites d'un panel représentatif des consommateurs concernant les achats des ménages français, et l'utilisation d'une méthode structurelle d'estimation de demande. Les résultats sont conformes aux faits: les MDD sont des produits moins préférés vis-à-vis les marques nationales (MN) de même qualité. Cependant, la carte fidélité a, en effet, un impact positif sur le choix du consommateur: ceux qui portent une carte fidélité ont une probabilité supérieure de choisir des MDD que ceux qui ne l'ont pas. Par ailleurs, l'impact d'un programme de fidélité sur la demande des MDD est moins important chez les détenteurs de plusieurs cartes. Le deuxième chapitre, co-écrit avec Daniel Herrera Araujo, vise à mesurer les coûts d'achat des consommateurs à partir des données de panel concernant les achats des ménages en France. Quand l'analyse économique tient compte des coûts d'achat, que rationalisent l'hétérogénéité observée en nombre des enseignes visitées par les consommateurs, les conclusions de politique publique peuvent changer remarquablement. Nous identifions les coûts d'achat du consommateur dans le cadre d'un modèle structurel de demande en plusieurs enseignes ainsi qu'en plusieurs produits, qui lie le choix optimale du nombre de supermarchés à visiter (un seule ou plusieurs) aux coûts d'achat. Nous estimons les paramètres du modèle et mesurons le coût d'achat total moyen en 18,7 € par enseigne visitée. Deux quantités y sont comprises: le coût fixe moyen, 1,53 € et le coût de transport moyen 17,1 € par visite. Le troisième chapitre porte sur l'analyse empirique du rôle des tarifs binômes et la fixation du prix de vente (RPM, d'après l'expression anglo-saxonne Resale Price Maintenance) dans la stabilité des prix de vente. Il est largement reconnu dans la littérature économique que la transmission incomplète des chocs de coûts aux prix de vente est expliquée par l'ajustement des marges ainsi que les coûts d'ajustement des prix. Les relations entre fournisseurs et distributeurs et le RPM peuvent renforcer la rigidité des prix. Je présente un modèle structurel de relations verticales dont des tarifs binômes peuvent être adoptées ainsi que le RPM. Ce modèle tient compte de la rigidité des prix de vente à travers des coûts fixes d'ajustement des prix qui sont ajoutés au profit du détaillant. En utilisant des données concernant les ventes de marques de céréales pour le petit déjeuner dans une grande chaîne des supermarchés au Chicago, j'estime la demande, récupère les marges et calcule les limites supérieure et inférieure de l'intervalle que contiennent les vrais coûts d'ajustement. Les résultats obtenus montrent que ces coûts représentent en moyenne entre 1,6% et 3% des revenus totales du distributeur par an. / This dissertation consists of three essays on the empirical analysis of grocery retailing and consumer shopping behavior. The first chapter focuses on supermarket loyalty programs and their impact on the demand for private labels. Supermarkets often link loyalty rewards to private label purchases, What are supermarkets' motivations to do this? This empirically examines this link using scanner data on grocery purchases of French households and structural methods of demand estimation. Results are consistent with the industry lore: private labels are less valued products relative to quality-equivalent national brands. However, members of loyalty programs have a larger valuation of private labels than non-members. Moreover, the more prone to subscribe to LPs a customer is, the larger her sensitivity to a price increase and the weaker the expected effects on the demand for private labels. The second chapter, joint with Daniel Herrera Araujo, is inspired by a number of theory papers showing that when shopping costs, that rationalize the observed heterogeneity in consumer shopping patterns, are introduced in economic analysis, policy conclusions can change dramatically. We structurally identify consumer shopping costs using scanner data on grocery purchases of French households. We present a model of demand for multiple stores and products consisting of an optimal stopping problem in terms of individual shopping costs. This rule determines whether to visit one or multiple stores at a shopping period. We then estimate the parameters of the model and recover the distribution of shopping costs. We quantify the total shopping cost in 18.7 € per store sourced on average. This cost has two components, namely, the mean fixed shopping cost, 1.53 € and mean total transport cost of 17.1 € per trip. The third chapter empirically examines the role of nonlinear contracts between manufacturers and retail stores, and Resale Price Maintenance (RPM) on nominal price stability. According to the literature the incomplete transmission of costs shocks into retail prices is explained by the existence of markup adjustment and price adjustment costs. The vertical conduct of the industry and the use of RPM can introduce further price stickiness or reinforce it. I present a structural model of vertical relations allowing for two-part tariffs and RPM, and accounting explicitly for retail price rigidity by including fixed costs of price adjustment in retailer's profit function. Using micro data on sales of breakfast cereals from a large supermarket chain in Chicago, I estimate demand, retrieve margins, and compute bounds for retail price adjustment costs. I find that these costs lie between 1.6% and 3% of its total revenue a year, on average.

No description available.

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

This thesis is to derive the customer load composition and the distribution feeder loss by applying the outage management system (OMS). The distribution system network has been obtained by retrieving the component information from OMS database. The topology process and equipment reduction have also been executed to identify the network configuration and to prepare the input data for load flow analysis. With the monthly energy consumption of customers served by each transformer, which has been retrieved from the customer information system (CIS), the hourly loading of each distribution transformer is then derived. By performing the three phase load flow analysis for different types of distribution feeders, the power loss of distribution feeders has been obtained. To solve the effect of temperature change to the power consumption of distribution feeders, the temperature sensitivities of power consumption of each customer class are solved by multiple regression analysis with 95% confidential level. Based on the temperature sensitivity of the load component and the power loss, the increase of load demand and the power loss due to temperature rise can be estimated. Three practical distribution feeders in Taipei City District of Taipower are selected to demonstrate the impact of temperature change. To the feeder power consumption, it is found that the change of load demand for both residential and commercial customers is more significant as compared to the industrial customers. By applying the OMS for distribution system loss analysis, the feeder power loss can be evaluated according to the hourly loading, which can provide an effective tool to support the assessment of distribution system operation efficiency.

Abstract The status and the distribution of arsenic in soils from a disused cattle dip were determined. Elevated total arsenic levels (1,033–1,369 mg/L) were detected in the soils. Significant difference (p\0.05) between the values for the soils obtained from the contaminated sites and control site (0.15 mg/L) was observed. The level of total arsenic decreased with increase in depth. The peak total arsenic (1,369 mg/L) was obtained at 0 cm depth, indicating the abundance of arsenic at the surface despite the fact that the dip has been out of use for a long time. The total arsenic recorded for different depths were significantly higher than the trigger value of 40 mg/kg. The distribution of arsenic in the different phases showed that arsenic was mostly bound to the residual fractions (52%) and Fe and Al hydroxides (21%). The distribution of arsenic in the order phases was in the following order: exchangeable (14%), carbonates (10%) and soluble (3%).

No description available.

Thesis (M.S.)--Auburn University, 2005. / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographic references (p.75-77).

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1983. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 44-45).

Thesis (M.S. in Management) Naval Postgraduate School, December 1996. / Thesis advisor(s): James Fremgen, Janice M. Menker. "december 1996." Includes bibliographical references (p. 73-75). Also available online.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1981. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 293-302).