Do consumers correctly expect price reductions? Testing dynamic behavior

B-Tier
Journal: International Journal of Industrial Organization
Year: 2016
Volume: 44
Issue: C
Pages: 25-40

Authors (2)

Score contribution per author:

1.005 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

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

Abstract

The assumption that consumers are fully rational and hold correct price expectations is demanding in dynamic settings. We claim that it is testable provided that market-level data on prices and purchases are available. We find that consumers hold simple expectations regarding the timing of promotions for music albums: consumers act as if they were aware of reductions but did not revise their beliefs over time. The anticipation effect, due to strategically delaying purchase, amounts to 1/5 of the decision to purchase during regular periods. These results have implications in terms of demand estimation, optimal pricing and welfare computations.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:indorg:v:44:y:2016:i:c:p:25-40
Journal Field
Industrial Organization
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-29