Handbook on the Economics of Retailing and Distribution

Edited by Emek Basker, Department of Economics, University of Missouri–Columbia, US

This Handbook explores and critically examines current research in economics and marketing science on key economic issues in retailing and distribution. Providing a rich perspective for the discussion of public policy, contributions from several disciplines and continents range from the history of chains and the impact of multinational retailers on international trade patterns; to the US merger policy in the retail context, the rise of the Internet and consumer-to-consumer sales. This state-of-the-art Handbook is an essential reference for students and academics of economics and marketing science and offers outsiders valuable perspectives on operations research, data analytics, geography, and sociology.

‘This is an impressive volume that brings together top researchers working on the economics of retailing and distribution. The content ranges from rich descriptive analyses of the key aspects of technical change driving the industry, to technical discussions of cutting edge empirical techniques. It will be a great resource, both for experts in the field, and researchers and graduate students thinking of working in the area.’
– Thomas J. Holmes, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, US

‘Despite the enormity of the retail sector and its importance to the US economy, prior to this book there was no guide to economic research issues in retailing and distribution. The Handbook on the Economics of Retailing and Distribution provides the definitive synopsis of economic and regulatory issues pertaining to this dynamic sector and defines the frontiers of the research agenda for this emergent field.’
– Judith A. Chevalier, Yale University, US

‘Entry and exit. Technical progress. Consumer search. Big data. If you had to choose just one sector to show the power and insight of modern economics, retail and distribution might well be it. This excellent volume merges theory, data, and econometrics to examine a fascinating industry, with a rich blend of history, abstract analysis, and case studies. Leading scholars in the field take us from first century vending machines to e-commerce in a well-edited, authoritative, and highly readable collection of survey articles.’
– Jonathan Haskel, Imperial College London, UK