Information Acquisition and Product Differentiation Perception

B-Tier
Journal: American Economic Journal: Microeconomics
Year: 2025
Volume: 17
Issue: 3
Pages: 1-34

Authors (3)

Gary Biglaiser (not in RePEc) Jiadong Gu (not in RePEc) Fei Li (University of North Carolina-C...)

Score contribution per author:

0.670 = (α=2.01 / 3 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

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

Abstract

We consider the equilibrium interplay between sellers' price competition and consumers' perception of product differentiation. We analyze a situation where, before trading, consumers acquire information at a cost about their preferences between sellers' differentiated products. The incentive for information acquisition depends on the average value of products, the objective product differentiation, and their beliefs about sellers' prices. The acquired information shapes consumers' perceived product differentiation and sellers' equilibrium prices. We characterize the unique symmetric equilibrium and study comparative statics with respect to consumer information acquisition cost and sensitivity to product differentiation.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:aea:aejmic:v:17:y:2025:i:3:p:1-34
Journal Field
General
Author Count
3
Added to Database
2026-01-25