The Link Between Gasoline Prices and Vehicle Sales

This paper examines the link between fuel prices and sales of cars and trucks. U.S. automakers have long denied that such a link exists. One source of this false belief is an obsession with the crude count of units sold, equating Hummers with Minis. Another source is the conventional “wisdom” that Americans are unwilling to pay for fuel economy. The paper presents theoretical reasons and market evidence that refute Detroit’s conventional wisdom. American manufacturers’ reaction to rising fuel prices over the last few years revealed the shortcomings of the U.S. automakers’ recent product and powertrain strategies. The effect of rising fuel prices has, in effect, been offset by reducing prices of vehicles in inverse proportion to fuel economy. Thus, unit sales of large SUVs could be maintained, but their revenue (and profit) fell because vehicle prices were cut, directly or indirectly. The paper concludes with a few practical guidelines that business economists should use to prevent their companies from experiencing the recent massive losses experienced by the U.S. automobile industry. JEL Classification D120     

Price formation in channels of distribution with differentiated products: Theory and empirical evidence

This paper presents a theoretical and empirical study of price formation in markets where goods differ in two attributes, perceived quality of each variety, and service provided by the store where the good is sold. Price competition in the vertically differentiated market is modeled as a two-stage game where manufacturers choose the contract that determines wholesale prices, and retailers choose consumer prices. One important novelty of the paper is that it contemplates competition between brands of different quality in the same store, and competition between brands of the same quality sold at different stores. This is in fact the situation observed in the domestic detergent market and the predictions of the model can be used to guide the empirical analysis of the data available for such market in the area of Barcelona, Spain.     

Value-based pricing in competitive situations with the help of multi-product price response maps

This article introduces multi-product price response maps for various value pricing applications in competitive situations. The maps are based on the direct elicitation of individual willingness to pay (WTP) as a range for competing products; they reveal an individual's or market's choice probability for a focal product, at its own and competing products' prices. Transforming the price response into profit, revenue, or unit sold maps supports optimal pricing decisions. The maps are also useful for optimizing profit differences from the closest competitor and for portfolio pricing. Managers can use a consumer indecisiveness map, gained from the WTP range data, to devise complementary marketing measures at prices where consumer uncertainty is high. The illustration of this approach uses two empirical examples, featuring two or more competing consumer goods, and demonstrates the predictive and external validity of these proposed maps.     

绿豆成贵族,谁在“豆你玩”?

楼市观望,股市疲软。在通货膨胀的语境下,游资借自然气候异常之际,纷纷涌入农产品市场虽然目前相关农产品的价格有所回调,但农产品价格的大幅波动仍值得关注。     

Survey Into the Seafood Consumption Preferences and Patterns in the Portuguese Population: Education,Age, and Health Variability

A survey into the seafood consumption preferences and patterns in the Portuguese population was carried out. Consumers were asked to state their preferences toward different kinds of fish products, to indicate their consumption frequencies of a total of 23 products, to mention the average meal portion, and to inform about the usual culinary treatments applied to the raw products. It was observed that the sensory characteristics of each product and cultural habits seem to influence serving size. For horse mackerel and canned sardines, an inverse correlation between education level and consumption frequency was found. Moreover, the consumption frequency of soaked cod, the main salted and dried fish in the Portuguese market, decreased with higher education. Older consumers were much fonder of wild fish and much more unwilling to consume farmed fish than the younger ones. It was also found that obese people deviate from other weight groups in that their preferences and consumption quantities are displaced to foods other than seafood.     

顾春官 河豚鱼主的绝地翻身

<正>"他是个神,不是个人。"广东省珠海市斗门区鹤洲北垦区水产养殖户陆光海表示。"他是我们养殖户里的李嘉诚,是个创造奇迹的人。"水产养殖户吕家华也深有同感。当地养户对顾春官的评价引人好奇:顾春官到底做了什么,居然让他们如此佩服?从水果商到半个水产专家顾春官是上海人,17岁时就出来创业,先是做瓦工,后又批发水果。在1998年,他却放弃了年收入二十多万元的水果生意,转入了一个陌生的行业。驾轻就熟的赚钱生意为什么突然就     

Marketing and advertising practices of Turkish entrepreneurs in transition economies: Evidence from Georgia

As a transition economy, Georgia has an uncertain, complex, and immature business environment, typical of transition economies in the Eurasian region. In an effort to provide insights into marketing and advertising practices in the Eurasian transition economies, this study empirically examines the marketing and advertising practices in Georgia through two surveys conducted with Turkish entrepreneurs in Georgia and Georgian consumers. On the one hand, the findings of the survey of the Turkish entrepreneurs indicated that an overall adaptation strategy is needed in Georgia; in addition, foreign entrepreneurs willing to enter the Georgian market are advised to offer a variety of products by collaborating with local distributors and agents. Although Georgian consumers do not have high income, low-price strategy does not always work as consumers equate low price with inferior quality. Marketing of prestigious products are to be sold at higher prices and appropriate product positioning strategies must be developed for each target market segment. Merchandising strategies must be congruent with the target market served as well as retail stores/outlets utilized. On the other hand, the Georgian consumers demand better customer service and increased variety of products; advertising is welcomed to a certain extent as long as advertising provides useful product/brand and company information.     

The Business Ethics of Short Selling and Naked Short Selling

The controversy over short selling has continued unabated from the introduction of modern equity trading in Amsterdam in 1610 to the present day. Nevertheless, the business ethics literature has not really addressed short selling. Short sellers not only profit from the misery of others, they also create it through their selling activities. However, they also provide a socially useful service by making prices better reflect true values, protecting other investors from purchasing overpriced securities. Short sellers can also help to provide liquidity in the markets. Recently, there has been a hue and cry against so called “naked” short selling, which involves not delivering the shares that have been sold. This gives manipulators a tool for depressing stock prices and deprives purchasers of voting rights and potential stock lending revenue. Naked short selling creates ethical issues for short sellers, buyers, brokers, market makers, and regulators. Is it ethical to exploit a legal loophole that permits sellers to sell stock and delay delivering shares indefinitely?     

Marketing of the Fresh Water Clam (Galatea paradoxa) in Southeastern Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated the structure, storage, distribution, and profitability of marketing fresh clams Galatea paradoxa in relation to harvesting time (dry and raining seasons) and in different locations in Southeastern Nigeria. Our results reveal that the marketing chain starts from the fishers to the consumers, with dealers and retailers as intermediaries. Seasonal fluctuations in supply and trade relationship significantly influence the market. Clam prices were found to fluctuate with size. Prices charged by fishers and dealers were uniform throughout the season. There were significant changes in quantity of clams sold between seasons (P < 0.001) and locations (area of purchase) (P < 0.05). Duncan's Multiple Range Test showed significant differences in weight of clams from clam-producing areas and other locations. The fishery is characterized by a favourable capital-output ratio, as reflected in the marketing margin; with low production cost and cheap, affordable labour. The implications of these findings to clam market organisation, price-quality relationship, food sufficiency, and investment prospect are discussed.     

浅谈原材料价格上涨给物价上升带来的压力

近来原材料价格上涨明显,多种原材料的价格达到或趋近历史高位。原材料价格的上涨给物价上涨带来压力,其本身又是物价上涨的组成部分。短期内,这会在一定程度上抑制消费从而减少需求,但一旦需求慢慢释放出来,物价的进一步上涨将会显现。流通是影响物价的重要因素,在原材料价格上涨的背景下,可通过简化流通环节和降低流通成本缓解原材料价格上涨给物价带来的上涨压力。     

Fish Consumers: Environmental Attitudes and Purchasing Behavior

The objective of this study was to expand on the limited awareness of the U.S. fish consumer. Measures were tested through a Web-based national survey. The final survey consisted of 40 questions, including environmental awareness, food neophobia, fish consumption, reasons for consuming fish, and demographic variables. Correlations and t tests were used to analyze relationships between eating fish in restaurants and other variables. Hierarchical cluster analysis was used to segment respondents into two groups based on their environmental awareness and neophylic/neophobic attitudes. EcoFish consumers were more likely to be male, eat fish for health and the environment, and eat fish at restaurants significantly more than the Indifferent Fish consumers. Restaurants can use these results to market to eco-friendly, health-conscious fish consumers.     

Prices of raw materials continue to rise

Following the abatement of the boom market during the early months of 1983, the coming months will see an “adjustment” of world market prices for industrial raw materials to “fundamental” market conditions. Price fluctuations are likely during this period. A gradual increase in demand for raw materials and a moderate rise in raw materials prices can be expected during the further course of 1983 and in 1984.     

第三方物流发展与物流业集聚动因分析

第三方物流为企业的物流决策提供了更多的选择。但是,对于企业来说,利益机制是其进行决策分析的最重要基础。通过对企业盈利能力的分析,可以看到,企业获得较高的盈利是建立第三方物流合作的长久基础。同时,利润是企业经营的基本目标,也是企业生存和发展的重要基础。但是通过对利益机制的分析显示,在均衡条件下,个别物流企业独立经营的利润总和将会小于联合企业的总利润,同时,联合企业的产品市场价格也会进一步下降。     

美国大豆倾销中国的实证分析

本文通过对中美两国大豆生产成本、收益、补贴和市场价格的详细分析和比较,并参照巴西大豆的相关数据,实证分析了美国大豆以低于"正常价值"倾销中国的事实。这种倾销给中国大豆产业造成了伤害,却惠及了美国大豆产业。随着美国大豆出口量的不断扩大,国际市场大豆价格出现上涨趋势,美国大豆生产者的成本利润率显著增加,美国大豆加工企业在中国的市场份额不断提高,这种倾销方式更倾向于掠夺性倾销。本文建议向美国大豆征收反倾销税,同时采取加大对国内农业基础设施投入等一系列措施,以避免其他农产品陷入与大豆同样的被动局面。     

货代业：亟须模式转型

货代企业的发展需要模式转型,这个转型是整个货代行业相对于生产、贸易、物流、海运以及金融等产业的地位、价值和理念的提升。     

Commodity Prices Recede from Record Highs

Several commodity prices appear to have peaked earlier this year and crude oil prices have even fallen by more than 10 dollars per barrel from their recent all-time high level. Is the worst over for buyers of raw materials or will prices rise again in the coming months?     

Perceptual Differences in Market Transactions Revisited: A Waning Source of Consumer Frustration

A 1973 survey study of retailer and consumer attitudes toward retailer actions in contrived market situations showed marked differences in the values of the two groups. In short, retailers’ short-run profit motives outweighed their concern for their long-run customer franchise. This 1979 follow-up survey study found increased concordance between the parties in market transactions.     

The Effect of Bankruptcy Filings on Rivals' Operating Performance: Evidence from 51 Large Bankruptcies

I examine the operating performance of financially distressed firms and their rivals in the periods surrounding 51 bankruptcy filings. The analysis indicates that filings are associated with declines in rivals' revenues and profit margins. The declines occur prior to and coincident with bankruptcy filings, but dissipate quickly after a filing occurs. The adverse effect on rivals' profit margins appears to be caused by changes in firms' product market conduct, as it is robust to several methods used to screen out filings where a common shock has occurred. I then examine whether market structure affects the link between filings and rivals' profit margins. The market structure effects appear to be small.     

Pricing dynamics in US fresh produce channels: new empirical evidence

Despite many valuable contributions, prior research has not completely explained retail pricing behavior. This study employs scanner data for 36 fresh produce items analyzing the relationship between costs of goods sold and retail prices to provide further insight into retail pricing behavior. Implications include: (1) where ‘natural’ variation in produce prices do not already exist from the supplier, retailers appear to introduce the variation themselves, independent from shipping point price; and (2) to the extent that supplier-retailer contracts for fresh produce develop, the resulting stabilizing influence on costs may have the preserve effect of increasing retail price variability to consumers.     

Analysing consumers' ‘activism’ in response to rising prices

The purpose of this paper was to compose the profile of active consumers in Greece during a period of rising prices taking into account shifts in their consumption. A survey was conducted from 1 September 2008 to 21 November 2008 to collect the primary data source for the study. Questionnaires were administered to 200 consumers. To our knowledge this was the first attempt to offer insight into the characteristics of the Greek consumer in a period of economic crisis. For this purpose, econometric analysis was employed. Empirical results suggested that high‐income groups spend more for food commodities and are less likely to be active consumers. It was concluded that consumers have reduced spending for some basic and semi‐luxury products like fruits, meat, alcohol, sweets and coffee, and entertainment activities. The main factor which affected the reaction to price increases, as expected, was the monthly private income. Twenty per cent of the consumers are members of a national consumer movement organization, and support their actions against rising prices. Women, who research the market before purchasing a product, are more likely than men to participate in economic boycotts. By examining the profile of non‐active consumers and the reasons for their behaviour, we are able to propose a policy for the activation of the Greek consumer movement, which is necessary for the consumers' resistance to rising prices. Taking into consideration that Greek consumers face increased prices for food commodities and services, a policy framework to activate consumers is among the main prerequisites for maintaining consumers' well being. We suggest that the Greek Consumer Protection Institutes should regain consumers' confidence and focus on the dissemination of information about organized economic boycotts.