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Richard Woodward
 
''Do Americans Desire Homogeneity? Evidence from Names from 1900-2000''
( 2005, Vol. 4 No.9 )
 
 
There has been a dramatic increase in market concentration in the retail sector in the United States. Although it is typically assumed that standard supply-side forces of returns to scale are behind this trend, it is also possible that demand-side forces have played a role, i.e., that consumers desire homogeneity. This paper evaluates the American demand for homogeneity as exhibited in parental naming choices over the century from 1900-2000. The evidence does not support the hypothesis of increasing demand for homogeneity in the U.S.
 
 
Keywords: consumer choices
JEL: D1 - Household Behavior: General
L1 - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance: General
 
Manuscript Received : Aug 31 2005 Manuscript Accepted : Aug 31 2005

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