The Role of Retail Chains: National, Regional, and Industry Results
33 Pages Posted: 5 Mar 2008
Date Written: October 1, 2005
Abstract
We use the establishment level data in the Longitudinal Business Database to measure changes in market structure in the U.S. Retail Trade sector during the period, 1976 to 2000. We use firm ownership information to construct measures of firm entry and exit and also to categorize four types of retail firms: single location, and local, regional, and national chains. We use detailed location data to examine market structure in both national and county markets. We summarize the county level results into three groups: metropolitan, micropolitan, and rural. We find that retail activity is increasingly occurring at establishments owned by chain firms, especially large national chains. On average, we find that all types of retail firms are increasing in size during the period. We also find that larger markets experience more firm turnover. Finally, we see that entry and exit rates vary across two-digit retail industries.
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
Do you have a job opening that you would like to promote on SSRN?
Recommended Papers
-
CPI Bias from Supercenters: Does the BLS Know that Wal-Mart Exists?
By Jerry A. Hausman and Ephraim Leibtag
-
Consumer Benefits from Increased Competition in Shopping Outlets: Measuring the Effect of Wal-Mart
By Jerry A. Hausman and Ephraim Leibtag