Pricing in a Customer Market

S-Tier
Journal: Quarterly Journal of Economics
Year: 1989
Volume: 104
Issue: 4
Pages: 699-718

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 standard pricing models, movements in demand are partially offset by price responses. In a customer market, however, price markups may decrease with high demand. Thus, price may magnify, rather than stabilize, demand movements. I consider a monopolist selling a good of which first-time consumers are uncertain. Repeat customers know that the product works. The monopolist trades the objectives of exploiting past customers and attracting new ones. In a period with many new potential customers, the monopolist gives more weight to attracting and lowers its markup. Last, I examine some evidence on whether expansions are periods with disproportionately many new customers.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:oup:qjecon:v:104:y:1989:i:4:p:699-718.
Journal Field
General
Author Count
1
Added to Database
2026-01-24