Information and Prices with Capacity Constraints

S-Tier
Journal: American Economic Review
Year: 2011
Volume: 101
Issue: 4
Pages: 1591-1600

Score contribution per author:

8.043 = (α=2.01 / 1 authors) × 4.0x S-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

In the theoretical literature on consumer search, one conclusion is nearly universal: as buyers become better able to observe and compare prices ex ante, sellers will set lower prices in equilibrium. In this paper, I examine a standard consumer search model with one small -- yet often relevant -- additional restriction: I assume that sellers are capacity constrained. In this environment, I illustrate that the conventional wisdom regarding information and prices does not necessarily hold: having more informed consumers can lead to a decrease in prices, have no effect at all, or even lead to an increase in prices.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:aea:aecrev:v:101:y:2011:i:4:p:1591-1600
Journal Field
General
Author Count
1
Added to Database
2026-01-25