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Optimal Sales Schemes against Interdependent Buyers

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  • Masaki Aoyagi

Abstract

This paper studies a monopoly pricing problem when the seller can choose the timing of a trade with each buyer, and a buyer's valuation of the seller's good is the weighted sum of his and other buyers' private signals. We show that it is optimal for the seller to employ a sequential scheme that trades with one buyer at a time and allows each buyer to observe the outcomes of all preceding transactions. We also identify conditions under which the seller optimally trades with the buyers in the increasing order of the weights they place on other buyers' signals. (JEL D42, D82, L12)

Suggested Citation

  • Masaki Aoyagi, 2010. "Optimal Sales Schemes against Interdependent Buyers," American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 2(1), pages 150-182, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aejmic:v:2:y:2010:i:1:p:150-82
    Note: DOI: 10.1257/mic.2.1.150
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Alexei Parahonyak & Nick Vikander, 2024. "Strategic Use of Product Delays to Shape Word-of-Mouth Communication," Economics Series Working Papers 1032, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    2. Aoyagi, Masaki & Bhalla, Manaswini & Gunay, Hikmet, 2016. "Social learning and delay in a dynamic model of price competition," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 165(C), pages 565-600.
    3. Junjie Zhou & Chen‐Nan Liao & Ying‐Ju Chen, 2023. "Optimal selling scheme in social networks: hierarchical signaling, sequential selling, and chain structure," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 32(7), pages 2138-2153, July.
    4. Hattori, Keisuke & Zennyo, Yusuke, 2018. "Heterogeneous Consumer Expectations and Monopoly Pricing for Durables with Network Externalities," MPRA Paper 89893, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 08 Nov 2018.
    5. Li, Jian & Zhou, Junjie & Chen, Ying-Ju, 2021. "The Limit of Targeting in Networks," ISU General Staff Papers 202112081957590000, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    6. Nicolás Figueroa & Carla Guadalupi, 2017. "Convincing early adopters: Price signals and Information transmission," Documentos de Trabajo 486, Instituto de Economia. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile..
    7. Alexei Parakhonyak & Nick Vikander, 2019. "Optimal Sales Schemes for Network Goods," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 65(2), pages 819-841, February.
    8. Nicolás Figueroa & Carla Guadalupi, 2020. "Signaling Quality in the Presence of Observational Learning," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 56(3), pages 515-534, May.
    9. Aoyagi, Masaki, 2018. "Bertrand competition under network externalities," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 178(C), pages 517-550.
    10. Aoyagi, Masaki, 2013. "Coordinating adoption decisions under externalities and incomplete information," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 77(1), pages 77-89.
    11. Li, Jian & Zhou, Junjie & Chen, Ying-Ju, 2022. "The limit of targeting in networks," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 201(C).

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D42 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Monopoly
    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • L12 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Monopoly; Monopolization Strategies

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