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Price and quality competition

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  • Ioana Chioveanu

Abstract

This study considers an oligopoly model with simultaneous price and quality choice. Ex-ante homogeneous sellers compete by offering products at one of two quality levels. The consumers have heterogeneous tastes for quality: for some consumers it is efficient to buy a high quality product, while for others it is efficient to buy a low quality product. In the symmetric equilibrium firms use mixed strategies that randomize both price and quality, and obtain strictly positive profits. This framework highlights trade-offs which determine the impact of consumer protection policy in the form of quality standards. Copyright Springer-Verlag 2012

Suggested Citation

  • Ioana Chioveanu, 2012. "Price and quality competition," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 107(1), pages 23-44, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jeczfn:v:107:y:2012:i:1:p:23-44
    DOI: 10.1007/s00712-011-0259-z
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Chioveanu, Ioana, 2019. "Prominence, complexity, and pricing," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 551-582.
    2. Sandro Shelegia & Chris M. Wilson, 2014. "A Utility-Based Model of Sales with Informative Advertising," Vienna Economics Papers vie1406, University of Vienna, Department of Economics.
    3. Karbowski, Adam, 2019. "Cooperative and non-cooperative R&D in product innovation and firm performance," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 20(6), pages 1121-1142.
    4. Bilanakos, Christos & Heywood, John S. & Sessions, John & Theodoropoulos, Nikolaos, 2018. "Does demand for product quality increase worker training?," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 155(C), pages 159-177.
    5. Alexander Karpov, 2016. "Health care inequality, patient mobility and welfare," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 36(2), pages 1000-1009.
    6. Christos Bilanakos & John S. Heywood & John Sessions & Nikolaos Theodoropoulos, 2014. "Worker Training and Competing on Product Quality," University of Cyprus Working Papers in Economics 08-2014, University of Cyprus Department of Economics.
    7. Liao, Hao & Xiao, Rui & Chen, Duanbing & Medo, Matúš & Zhang, Yi-Cheng, 2014. "Firm competition in a probabilistic framework of consumer choice," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 400(C), pages 47-56.
    8. Sandro Shelegia & Chris M Wilson, 2014. "A Utility-Based Model of Sales with Informative Advertising," Discussion Paper Series 2014_09, Department of Economics, Loughborough University, revised Oct 2014.
    9. David Soberman, 2022. "Business Expansion Through Acquisition," Customer Needs and Solutions, Springer;Institute for Sustainable Innovation and Growth (iSIG), vol. 9(3), pages 74-94, December.
    10. Yi-Ling Cheng & Shin-Kun Peng, 2014. "Price competition and quality differentiation with multiproduct firms," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 112(3), pages 207-223, July.
    11. Torsten J. Gerpott & Jan Berends, 2022. "Competitive pricing on online markets: a literature review," Journal of Revenue and Pricing Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 21(6), pages 596-622, December.
    12. Bilanakosa, Christos & Heywood, John S. & Sessions, John & Theodoropoulos, Nikolaos, 2017. "Worker Training and Quality Competition," GLO Discussion Paper Series 137, Global Labor Organization (GLO).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Oligopoly; Price and quality competition; Quality standards; L13; L15; L50;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L5 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • L15 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Information and Product Quality

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