Consumer Search and Price Competition

S-Tier
Journal: Econometrica
Year: 2018
Volume: 86
Issue: 4
Pages: 1257-1281

Authors (3)

Michael Choi (University of California-Irvin...) Anovia Yifan Dai (not in RePEc) Kyungmin Kim (not in RePEc)

Score contribution per author:

2.691 = (α=2.02 / 3 authors) × 4.0x S-tier

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

Abstract

We consider an oligopoly model in which consumers engage in sequential search based on partial product information and advertised prices. By applying Weitzman's (1979) optimal sequential search solution, we derive a simple static condition that fully summarizes consumers' shopping outcomes and translates the pricing game among the sellers into a familiar discrete‐choice problem. Exploiting the discrete‐choice reformulation, we provide sufficient conditions that guarantee the existence and uniqueness of market equilibrium and analyze the effects of preference diversity and search frictions on market prices. Among other things, we show that a reduction in search costs raises market prices.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:wly:emetrp:v:86:y:2018:i:4:p:1257-1281
Journal Field
General
Author Count
3
Added to Database
2026-01-25