This Handbook explores and critically examines current research in economics and marketing science on key issues in retailing and distribution. Providing a rich perspective for the discussion of public policy, contributions from several disciplines and continents range from the history of chains and the impact of multinational retailers on international trade patterns to US merger policy in the retail context, the rise of the Internet, and consumer-to-consumer sales. The chapters address methodological issues such as the structural estimation of entry games between retailers, productivity measurement when both inputs and output are not fully observable, and demand estimation with variable assortment. Policy issues explored include mergers, zoning, and the regulation of buyer power, while other chapters address some of the recent exciting developments in technology, retail formats, and data availability. The book goes on to study the changes in online retailing and ‘big data’, and to examine competition in specific retail sectors including gasoline stations, automobile dealerships, supermarkets, and ‘big box’ retail. This state-of-the-art Handbook is an essential reference for students and academics of economics and marketing science, and offers an outsider’s perspective to specialists in operations research, data analytics, geography, and sociology.

The advent of e-commerce and the rise of hard discounters have put severe pressure on traditional retail chains. Boundaries are blurring: traditional brick & mortar players are expanding their online operations and/or setting up their own discount banners, while the power houses of online retail are going physical, and hard discounters get caught up in the Wheel of Retailing. Even successful companies cannot sit back and rest, but need to prepare for the next wave of change. In the face of this complexity, it is all the more important to take stock of current knowledge, based on insights and experience from leading scholars in the field. What do we know from extant studies, and what are the ensuing best practices? What evolutions are ahead, and will current recipes still work in the future? This Handbook sheds light on these issues.

As an essential component for economic growth, energy has a significant impact on the global economy. The need to meet growing energy demand has prompted cutting-edge innovation in clean technology in an attempt to realise environmental and cost objectives, whilst ensuring the security of energy supply. This Handbook offers a comprehensive review of the economics of energy, including contributions from a distinguished array of international specialists. It provides a thorough discussion of the major research issues in this topical field of economics. Themes addressed include the theory of energy supply, demand and policy, empirical modelling of energy demand, holistic energy models, an analysis of coal, gas, electricity, oil and the markets within which they operate, and a discussion of the current key energy policy issues. The topics of pricing, transmission, regulation, security, energy efficiency, new technologies and climate change are also discussed. The International Handbook on the Economics of Energy presents a comprehensive overview of the state-of-the-art research making it an indispensable reference for researchers, advanced students, practitioners and policy-makers alike.

This book highlights the major institutional changes in the development of the Japanese retail industry after the bubble economy. The Japanese retail structure has been transformed from an abundance of small retail stores to chain stores by notable institutional changes with continuous variations in the post-1990s. It provides an insight into the impact of retail density on the household economy in the stagnant economy of Japan. The issues highlighted in this book include the background of the advent of 100-yen retail stores and strategic approach of the stores during the stagnant economy, a comparative analysis of Japanese 100-yen shops and dollar stores in United States, employment compliance of 100-yen shops and dollar stores in developing countries, factors that contributed to change the Japanese distribution channels after the 1990s, and determinants of retail density in Japan. The stagnant economy in the post-bubble period, along with changes in the large-scale retail store law, led consumers to shift from the most popular department stores to supermarkets and the cheapest retail alternatives. With its recent data and theories, this research work will be of interest to business and economics students and researchers in Japanese retailing and relevant areas.

One might mistakenly think that the long tradition of economic analysis in antitrust law would mean there is little new to say. Yet the field is surprisingly dynamic and changing. The specially commissioned chapters in this landmark volume offer a rigorous analysis of the field's most current and contentious issues. Focusing on those areas of antitrust economics that are most in flux, leading scholars discuss topics such as: mergers that create unilateral effects or eliminate potential competition; whether market definition is necessary; tying, bundled discounts, and loyalty discounts; a new theory of predatory pricing; assessing vertical price-fixing after Leegin; proving horizontal agreements after Twombly; modern analysis of monopsony power; the economics of antitrust enforcement; international antitrust issues; antitrust in regulated industries; the antitrust-patent intersection; and modern methods for measuring antitrust damages. Students and scholars of law and economics, law practitioners, regulators, and economists with an interest in industrial organization and consulting will find this seminal Handbook an essential and informative resource.

In the world of economics and business, engaging with loyal customers while also seeking out new, potential customers is a must. With the recent advancements of social media technology, these operations have increased the need for more developed methods to mesh consumer-business relationships and retention. The Handbook of Research on Retailing Techniques for Optimal Consumer Engagement and Experiences is a thought-provoking reference source that provides vital insight into the application of present-day customer relationship management within the retail industry. While highlighting topics such as digital communication, e-retailing, and social media marketing, this publication explores in-depth merchandiser knowledge as well as the methods behind positive retailer-consumer relationships. This book is ideally designed for managers, executives, CEOs, sales professionals, marketers, advertisers, brand managers, retail experts, academicians, researchers, and students.

Distribution channels are the most complex element of the marketing mix to fully grasp and to profitably manage. In this Handbook the authors present cutting-edge research on channel management and design from analytical, conceptual, and empirical perspectives. The breadth of this Handbook makes it appropriate for use in a doctoral course on distribution channels, or as a knowledge-broadening resource for faculty and researchers who wish to understand types of channels research that are outside the scope of their own approach to distribution.

More than any other area of regulation, antitrust economics shapes law and policy in the United States, the Americas, Europe, and Asia. In a number of different areas of antitrust, advances in theory and empirical work have caused a fundamental reevaluation and shift of some of the assumptions behind antitrust policy. This reevaluation has profound implications for the future of the field. The Oxford Handbook of International Antitrust Economics has collected chapters from many of the leading figures in antitrust. In doing so, this two volume Handbook provides an important reference guide for scholars, teachers, and practitioners. However, it is more than a merely reference guide. Rather, it has a number of different goals. First, it takes stock of the current state of scholarship across a number of different antitrust topics. In doing so, it relies primarily upon the economics scholarship. In some situations, though, there is also coverage of legal scholarship, case law developments, and legal policies. The second goal of the Handbook is to provide some ideas about future directions of antitrust scholarship and policy. Antitrust economics has evolved over the last 60 years. It has both shaped policy and been shaped by policy. The Oxford Handbook of International Antitrust Economics will serve as a policy and research guide of next steps to consider when shaping the future of the field of antitrust.