Northwestern University.
Q J Econ. 2011;126(3):1539-91. doi: 10.1093/qje/qjr031.
This article analyzes the effect of competition on a supermarket firm's incentive to provide product quality. In the supermarket industry, product availability is an important measure of quality. Using U.S. Consumer Price Index microdata to track inventory shortfalls, I find that stores facing more intense competition have fewer shortfalls. Competition from Walmart—the most significant shock to industry market structure in half a century—decreased shortfalls among large chains by about a third. The risk that customers will switch stores appears to provide competitors with a strong incentive to invest in product quality.
本文分析了竞争对超市企业提供产品质量激励的影响。在超市行业，产品供应是衡量质量的一个重要指标。本文利用美国消费者价格指数微观数据来跟踪库存短缺情况，发现面临更激烈竞争的商店库存短缺更少。半个世纪以来对行业市场结构影响最大的沃尔玛带来的竞争，使得大型连锁店的短缺减少了约三分之一。顾客转店的风险似乎为竞争对手提供了加强产品质量投资的强大动力。
