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This paper documents an increase in concentration of household
shopping in the US retail sector from 2004-2019. Despite a
growing number of stores, households visit fewer stores, do more
one-stop shopping, and increasingly shop at different retailers
from each other. We find that the increasing availability of
superstar retailers, rises in product variety within stores, and the
rise of online shopping contribute to these trends. We explore
how these trends are linked with rising retail markups. Our
calibration suggests a 5-10 percentage point increase in aggregate
retail markups during this period.
