An evolutionary stable strategy for retailers selling complementary goods subject to indirect network externalities

A two-population evolutionary game model is constructed for retailers and used to investigate the effect of indirect network externalities (INEs) and product complementarity on the strategic choice of marketing objective of the retailers. The results show that their strategic choice of marketing objective is correlated with market reservation price (MRP) when the strength of the INE is low. When the MRP is low, the retailers tend to adopt a strategy of profit maximization. As MRP increases, low-cost retailers adopt a strategy of revenue maximization instead of profit maximization to maximize revenue at an earlier stage than high-cost retailers. However, when the strength of the INE is high, retailers only choose a strategy of revenue maximization as their marketing objective. The probability that a retailer uses a revenue maximization strategy increases as the strength of the INE grows, and product complementarity increases, when there is an equilibrium between two pure marketing objective strategies. An optimal preference ratio for retailers may exist when the strength of INE is found to be not large enough. Numerical examples reveal that the degree of preference of retailers to maximize profit is shown to be negatively correlated with both INE and product complementarity. On the other hand, their profits are positively correlated with both of these factors.     

买方抗衡势力与制造商定价决策

本文研究了买方抗衡势力的存在对上游制造商定价决策的影响,讨论了制造商在不同定价形式（线性定价、两部收费制和转售价格维持（RPM））之间的选择问题,并构建了两阶段动态博弈模型,引入买方抗衡势力,比较分析了制造商在零售商具有和不具有买方抗衡势力两种情况下,制造商最优定价形式的选择。研究发现当零售商不具有买方抗衡势力时,制造商选择两部收费制和RPM是无差异的,都能使上游制造商获得相等的最优利润;当零售商具有买方抗衡势力时,对于上游制造商来说两部收费制优干RPM,RPM又优于线性定价。此外,本文还发现存在一个由抗衡势力和零售商替代程度决定的临界条件,当满足这一条件时,两部收费制是上游的最优选择;一旦这一条件不满足时,RPM就成了上游的最优选择。     

垂直关系中产品信誉效应的博弈分析

当一家厂商的行为或活动对产品信誉造成正面或负面影响后,其他相关厂商也要同时承受正面或负面的后果。在垂直关系中,下游零售商提供劣质服务产生了有损于信誉的负面效应,会对制造商和其他零售商造成更大的损害。而一家零售商提供优质服务增进产品信誉时,他只能在承受全部成本的情况下获得较少的利益。本文的理论模型说明,市场竞争的结果可能会形成零售商只愿意提供劣质服务的态势。通过采取排他性经营区域、排他性交易和拒绝供应等机制安排能够有效地化解损害信誉的行为,既能够保护整个垂直关系相关的厂商,同时也能使消费者得到更多的服务,促进经济活动的效率。     

产业链的合作机制选择与低碳产品定价及碳减排策略

生产链上下游企业选择合适的合作机制对低碳产品定价及碳减排有重要影响。通过构建博弈模型分析三种不同合作机制下的低碳产品定价及碳减排问题:第一种合作机制即制造商与零售商进行合作,当两条生产链都选择这种合作机制时,能带来较高的碳减排率和较低的零售价格,这对制造商、零售商、消费者和环境都是有利的。第二种合作机制即两条生产链的制造商之间、零售商之间分别合作,这会带来较低的碳减排率和较高的零售价格,对两个制造商有利,而对零售商和消费者不利。分析前两种合作机制的利与弊提出第三种合作机制,即零售商和制造商共享利润下的有利于碳减排的策略。最后,结合案例讨论和数值分析的研究结果表明:当制造商和零售商收入共享比在一定范围内时,第三种合作机制可以给制造商和零售商带来更高的利润。由此为企业选择最佳的合作机制及合理的碳减排策略提供了理论指导。     

Joint decision on pricing and advertising for competing retailers under emergency purchasing

This paper investigates an inventory decision problem under the pricing and advertising dependent stochastic demand, and considers a joint decision on pricing and advertising for competing retailers who operate short-life-cycle products under emergency purchasing. The results indicate that the retailer always prefers to advertise whether under a single or dual channel system. However, both the optimal prices and stocks increase, whereas customer welfare decreases.     

Analysis of evolutionary game in structural formation of market power in remanufacturing supply chains

It is normal for enterprises to engage in remanufacturing nowadays. Nevertheless, the concern of enterprises and researchers is whether remanufacturers should compete for leadership in supply chains. Considering the WTP for new and remanufactured products differs, this article the evolutionary game theory model in three structures of leadership in supply chains. It investigates the processes of market evolution and choices of strategies when manufacturers and retailers compete or do not compete for leadership in the market. It has been shown in the case of market evolution, according to the 12 conditions formed from different prices that manufacturer and retailer have to pay for competing for leadership, there are five types of ultimate evolutionary stability about the choices of strategies. Further analyses show that these five different evolutionary stability results include nine different evolutionary paths. Analyses of examples further show the evolutionary processes and results in distinct circumstances. This article extends the application of the evolutionary game in remanufacturing supply chains in theory and provides some guidance for enterprises to make decisions when they consider whether they compete for leaders in remanufacturing supply chains in reality.     

Manufacturer's pricing strategy in a two-level supply chain with competing retailers and advertising cost dependent demand

The paper studies a two-echelon supply chain comprising one manufacturer and two competing retailers with advertising cost dependent demand. The manufacturer acts as the Stackelberg leader who specifies wholesale price for each retailer. The two retailers compete with each other in advertising and they have different sales costs. The manufacturer uses one of the following two pricing strategies: (i) setting the same wholesale price for both the retailers irrespective of the difference in their sales costs; (ii) setting different wholesale prices for the retailers depending on their sales costs. Two models are developed. In the first model, the manufacturer shares a fraction of each retailer's advertising cost while in the second model, the manufacturer does not share any retailer's advertising expenses. In both the models, we derive the retailers' and manufacturer's optimal strategies. A numerical example is given to illustrate the theoretical results developed in each model. Computational results show that it is always beneficial for the manufacturer to adopt different wholesale pricing strategy for the retailers.     

Trade Policy and Access to Retail Distribution

The paper develops a model in which foreign and domestic manufacturers producing differentiated goods sell through spatially differentiated retailers. There is free entry into retailing but access to the retail distribution network (by manufacturers) may be controlled. The author considers a domestic vertical control mechanism in which domestic retailers carry only domestic brands (termed “domestic dealing”) and compares the use of tariffs on imports and the enforcement of domestic dealing restrictions as means of increasing domestic welfare. It is shown that domestic dealing will always be prohibited when tariffs can be used. When trade policy is not available, however, domestic dealing may be desirable.     

The strategic value of partial vertical integration

We investigate the strategic incentives for partial vertical integration, namely, partial ownership agreements between manufacturers and retailers, when retailers privately know their costs and engage in price competition with differentiated goods. The partial misalignment between the profit objectives within a partially integrated manufacturer–retailer hierarchy implies a higher retail price than under full integration. This ‘information vertical effect’ translates into a ‘competition horizontal effect’: the partially integrated hierarchy's commitment to a higher price induces the competitor to increase its price, which strategically relaxes competition. Our analysis provides implications for vertical merger policy and theoretical support for the recently documented empirical evidence on partial vertical acquisitions.     

零售商竞争环境下闭环供应链的协调问题研究

本文研究了由一家制造商和两家零售商所组成的闭环供应链系统的协调问题,利用博弈理论对两零售商竞争环境下非合作分散决策模型和合作集中决策模型进行了分析,得到了闭环供应链系统成员的最优定价策略和最终利润。据此,本文提出了一种收益分享协调定价策略,以使分散决策下供应链系统的利润达到集中决策下的利润水平。最后,通过数值仿真分析了两零售商新产品需求价格弹性系数和竞争替代系数、废旧品回收价格敏感系数和竞争替代系数对供应链系统定价决策和利润的影响。     

零售商买方势力一定会导致通道费吗？--基于纵向市场结构的合作博弈分析

关于通道费的研究,有一种观点认为通道费是零售商买方势力的体现。但是现实经济中有些具有买方势力的零售商收取通道费,而另一些却不收取通道费,买方势力的观点不能对这一现象作出解释。针对此,构建双边双寡头的纵向市场结构模型,并在模型中引入零售商的价格竞争和服务竞争,在合作博弈的框架下分析研究了零售商买方势力与通道费之间的关系。研究发现买方势力并不是出现通道费的充分条件,而只是必要条件,通道费的出现与否除了与零售商买方势力有关外,还与其他的市场环境因素有关。最后,通过线性需求函数的特例对这一结论进行了验证,并在此基础之上提出了相应的规制政策建议。     

基于微分博弈的乳制品供应链质量管理研究

考虑到合理的成本分担及公平的利润分配是影响乳制品供应链系统稳定及乳制品质量保证的重要环节,本文以一个乳制品加工企业、一个奶农(牧场)和一个零售商所构成的三级供应链为研究对象,引入微分博弈的方法,研究在4种不同的乳制品质量管理博弈情形下,乳制品供应链上各成员企业愿意为质量管理工作付出的努力及其收益.研究结果表明,乳制品加工企业的质量控制和质量改进两种工作的努力程度在3种非合作质量管理博弈情形下具有相同的表现,而在合作质量管理博弈情形下,为了供应链整体利益考虑,核心企业即乳制品加工企业的质量管理工作努力程度发生了变化.而对于乳制品供应链上游的奶农和下游的零售商而言,二者对于质量管理工作的努力程度随着乳制品供应链合作的深化而不断提高,在理想的合作博弈情形下达到了最高.     

跨国零售企业本土化战略的成与败——Carrefour与Tesco在韩国市场经营的比较

全球排名第二的国际零售商Carrefour在2006年宣布退出韩国市场,而英国最大的零售企业Tesco则是目前唯一一家在韩国成功运营的大型外国零售商.本文从品牌文化、运作模式、营销技术以及人力资源与营运管理等四个方面比较了两者在韩国市场上不同的本土化战略,分析了两大企业失败与成功的原因.从而得到了满足普通消费者需求,注重解决文化冲突.以合资、合作的方式占领东道国市场等一系列值得中国零售企业学习的经验与启示.     

零售商自有品牌对市场绩效的影响研究

近年来关于自有品牌的理论研究成为学术界的一个热点.本文将零售商自有品牌的质量水平设为一个变量,结合目前国内零售商自有品牌产品质量较低的现实,在上游两家生产商下游一家零售商的分析框架下,运用博弈论方法,讨论零售商引入自有品牌对市场绩效的影响.     

Modelling upstream and downstream market power in bilateral oligopoly

This article develops a general model that estimates market power exertion in a bilateral market relationship for processors and retailers where each may also have market power in their primary input market and output markets, respectively. Monte Carlo experiments are used to generate industry data for market structures such as perfect competition, monopoly, monopsony, bilateral imperfect competition with an integrated processor/retailer, bilateral imperfect competition with separate processor and retailer, and bilateral imperfect competition with four adjacent upstream and downstream markets. Then, new empirical industrial organization models are estimated using the data with models that match the market structure under which the data were generated (true) and with models that reflect alternative market structures (alternative). The general model is derived using the production function approach without imposing the fixed proportion assumption. Monte Carlo simulation results indicate that the general model is preferred to alternative models that presume competitive behaviour by processors in primary input procurement and by retailers in the output market. Results indicate that less flexible models lead to biased market power estimates in the presence of market power in the corresponding input and output markets.     

Pricing decisions in a dual channels system with different power structures

This paper investigates the effect of product substitutability and relative channel status on pricing decisions under different power structures of a dual exclusive channel system where each manufacturer distributes its goods through a single exclusive retailer but two goods are substitute. A linear demand based on the utility function of a representative consumer is assumed, and three game scenarios(Manufacturer Stackelberg, Retailer Stackelbeg and Vertical Nash) are examined under symmetric and asymmetric related channel status. It is shown that no power structure is always the best for the entire supply chain though all members on supply chain have incentive to lead the Stackelberg game. Meanwhile, the vertical Nash game is an equilibrium for the members, however, a Prisoner's dilemma necessarily incurs for the entire supply chain because the Retailer Stackelberg or the Manufacturer Stackelberg can gain the better performance than that in vertical Nash for the entire supply chain when the product substitutability is moderate or higher and the asymmetric relative channel status is moderate, while consumers always get the most welfare from the vertical Nash game.     

The Partnered Core of a Game without Side Payments

A payoff for a game is partnered if it admits no asymmetric dependencies. We introduce the partnered core of a game without side payments and show that the partnered core of a balanced game is nonempty. The result is a strengthening of Scarf's Theorem on the nonemptiness of the core of a balanced game without side payments. In addition, it is shown that if there are at most a countable number of points in the partnered core of a game then at least one core point isminimallypartnered, meaning that no player requires any other player in particular to obtain his part of the core payoff.Journal of Economic LiteratureClassification Number: C71.     

Brand price differentials in retail distribution: product quality and service quality

A theoretical model is proposed to disentangle the contribution of brand quality and retailer service quality in explaining brand price differentials across retailers. Two testable hypotheses emerge: (i) for each brand type, price differences across retailers are independent of brand quality differentials and (ii) at a given retailer, price differences between different brand qualities are independent of service quality differentials. Our empirical analysis, for a sample of the U.K. grocery retailer prices, discloses that retailers that offer higher service quality sell same quality brands at higher prices. In particular, service quality premia amount to 6% for national brands and are in the range of 9–15% for low-quality store brands. Besides, at a given retailer, the price premia paid for the national brand are very large: around 150% between national brands and low-quality store brands, and around 40% between national brands and high-quality store brands. Also, the price differential between the national brand and the low-quality store brand does not increase with service quality.     

会员客户忠诚度的实证研究

20世纪90年代以来,国内许多商户开始对经常光顾的客户发放会员卡,通过对会员的促销商品折扣来提高会员客户的忠诚度。但这些持有会员卡的客户是忠诚的吗？他们真如商户所愿,为其带来了主要的利润贡献吗？他们的购物行为与普通客户有区别吗？本文通过对某地区一商户的调研,对上述问题进行了分析,并得出了相关的结论。     

The bullwhip effect on inventory: a perspective on information quality

In recent years, there has been a vast increase in the quantity of information shared across supply chain. We investigate how the timeliness and accuracy of information quality affect the value of information sharing. We use the inventory bullwhip effect (BWE) to measure the value of information sharing in a two-level supply chain consisting of one retailer and one manufacturer. The retailer faces a price-sensitive demand and the price is an AR (1) process. Our study shows if customer demand and retailer’s immediate order are delayed, using retailer’s historical order quantity to forecast can decrease manufacturer’s BWE. If information errors happen, during delivery and utilization, information sharing is not always valuable for the manufacturer. Sometimes, no information sharing can decrease much more of BWE. If information errors occur when the retailer collects demand information, value of information sharing is more significant than when there are no information errors.