Competition and health-care spending: Theory and application to Certificate of Need laws

Hospitals and other health-care providers in 34 states must obtain a Certificate of Need (CON) from a state board before opening or expanding, leading to reduced competition. We develop a theoretical model of how market concentration affects health-care spending. Our theoretical model shows that increases in concentration, such as those brought about by CON, can either increase or decrease spending. Our model predicts that CON is more likely to increase spending in markets in which costs are low and patients are sicker. We test our model using spending data from the Household Component of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS).     

Thinking outside the bottle: Effects of alternative wine packaging

Packaging communicates intrinsic product attributes to consumers, which can influence consumer response and decision-making; however, little is known about the impact of non-traditional packaging formats. The current research aims to bridge this gap. Across five studies, we demonstrate that non-traditional packaging negatively influenced purchase intention of a complex product, wine, through product appeal and taste perceptions (Study 1A)/expectations (Studies 1B–4). We also demonstrate that the consumer response to non-traditional packaging is a function of individual differences (desire for unique products) and label attributes (eco-friendly labels).     

Short and sweet: Effects of pop-up stores’ ephemerality on store sales

Responding to increasing demand for ephemeral and experiential consumption, pop-up stores have developed into a preferred retail concept. By considering the juxtaposition of pop-ups’ non-sales focus and recent research finding experiential stores generating immediate store purchase, two experiments test how and when pop-ups’ distinguishing feature, ephemerality, affects purchases. We integrate commodity and regret theory to propose that store ephemerality boosts purchase of standard products for low-need-for-uniqueness (NFU) consumers as well as exclusive product purchases for high-NFU consumers. The implications for academic researchers and retail managers are discussed.