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Consumer myopia, competition and the incentives to unshroud add-on information

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  • Wenzel, Tobias

Abstract

This paper studies unshrouding decisions in a framework similar to Gabaix and Laibson (2006), but considers an alternative unshrouding mechanism where the impact of advertising add-on information depends on the number of unshrouding firms. We show that shrouding becomes less prevalent as the number of competing firms increases. With unshrouding costs a non-monotonic relationship between the number of firms and unshrouding may arise.

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  • Wenzel, Tobias, 2014. "Consumer myopia, competition and the incentives to unshroud add-on information," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 89-96.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:98:y:2014:i:c:p:89-96
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2013.12.002
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    Cited by:

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    2. Gotfredsen, Andreas & Nielsen, Carsten S. & Sebald, Alexander C. & Webb, Edward J.D., 2021. "Manipulating perception: The effect of product similarity on valuations and markets," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 190(C), pages 263-286.
    3. Schmitt, Stefanie Y. & Bruckner, Dominik, 2023. "Unaware consumers and disclosure of deficiencies," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 1018-1042.
    4. Wenzel, Tobias, 2015. "Partial shrouding in asymmetric markets," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 223-226.
    5. Marco Savioli & Lorenzo Zirulia, 2020. "Does add-on presence always lead to lower baseline prices? Theory and evidence," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 129(2), pages 143-172, March.
    6. Paolo Crosetto & Alexia Gaudeul, 2017. "Choosing not to compete: Can firms maintain high prices by confusing consumers?," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(4), pages 897-922, December.
    7. Marco Savioli & Lorenzo Zirulia, 2015. "Add-On Pricing: Theory and Evidence From the Cruise Industry," Working Paper series 15-26, Rimini Centre for Economic Analysis, revised May 2016.
    8. Byl, Jacob P. & Viscusi, W. Kip, 2021. "Experimental study of consumer responses to different sources of information about prescription drugs," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 186(C), pages 754-771.
    9. Wenzel, Tobias & Normann, Hans-Theo, 2015. "Shrouding add-on information: an experimental study," VfS Annual Conference 2015 (Muenster): Economic Development - Theory and Policy 113149, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    10. Heidhues, Paul & Köszegi, Botond, 2018. "Behavioral Industrial Organization," CEPR Discussion Papers 12988, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    11. Barna Bakó & András Kálecz-Simon, 2017. "Nothing so Certain as your Anchors? A Consumer Bias that may Lower Prices and Prevent Cartels," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 17(3), pages 273-282, September.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Bounded rationality; Add-on pricing; Shrouding;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D40 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - General
    • D80 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - General
    • L10 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - General

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