Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Drug Violence, The Peso, And Northern Border Retail Activity In Mexico, Thomas M. Fullerton Jr., Adam G. Walke

Border Region Modeling Project

Exchange rate fluctuations and international business cycles may acutely affect retail sales in border regions where residents have the option of shopping in the neighboring country. This study examines the determinants of retail sales in six cities located along Mexico’s northern border. Retail activity in these cities is found to increase in tandem with real depreciations of the peso, lower unemployment rates in neighboring US counties, and increased border crossings. Taken together, these results suggest that cross-border shopping contributes to retail activity in the northern border region of Mexico. The opportunities for cross-border shopping may also condition the impact of …