Partial sequential search and product differentiation

C-Tier
Journal: Economics Letters
Year: 2023
Volume: 225
Issue: C

Authors (2)

Score contribution per author:

0.503 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 0.5x C-tier

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

Abstract

Anderson and Renault (1999) show that when search cost is needed to evaluate any product, a U-shaped relationship exists between equilibrium price and product differentiation. This paper revisits this relationship by incorporating partial-depth search in a sequential search process which allows consumers to evaluate a subset of product attributes. We show that, when search depth is endogenous, the relationship is either always positive or N-shaped, depending on the elasticity of the hazard rate function of utility distribution.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:ecolet:v:225:y:2023:i:c:s0165176523000915
Journal Field
General
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-29