Social interactions can lead to a variety of phenomena including consumption externalities and complementarities. Consumption externalities arise when the choices of others have an effect on the total value of a household's purchases; complementarities arise when the choices of others have an...

This article examines the impact of Wal-Mart Supercenters’ entry on incumbents’ pricing behavior and demand. Using a structural model and milk data from the Dallas/Fort Worth supermarket chains, empirical results show that an expansion of Supercenters caused incumbents to price milk...

The impact of Wal-Mart in lowering incumbents’ retail prices has been well documented by previous studies using reduced form models. This article uses a structural model to examine the pricing behavior and promotion responses of incumbent supermarkets to a rapid expansion of Wal-Mart...

The debate around the healthfulness of food choices for low-income households is still a relevant point of contention for policymakers as they aim to provide tools to incentivize consumption of healthier foods in different ways. Using fluid milk as a case study, and one year of household- level...

In the U.S., many households are unable to meet their dietary needs for leading an active and healthy lifestyle. Research has focused on assessing community-level constraints and opportunities to access health and nutritious food for low-income and disadvantaged populations. Our aim is to...

Lack of access to nutritious and affordable food has become an important public policy issue in the U.S.: various interest groups are seeking to reverse a trend whereby certain areas lack larger, full-service grocery stores that provide “higher” quality foods. Based on game-theoretic...