IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/jeczfn/v131y2020i1d10.1007_s00712-020-00699-4.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Does price discrimination make collusion less likely? a delivered pricing model

Author

Listed:
  • John S. Heywood

    (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee)

  • Dongyang Li

    (Renmin University of China)

  • Guangliang Ye

    (Hainan University)

Abstract

This paper compares the stability of collusion under delivered spatial price discrimination and under uniform pricing. Uniquely using a model of elastic demand, we show that collusion under price discrimination can be more stable thus facilitating collusion and making it more likely. This result holds only when the entire market is competitive. Whenever there exist natural monopoly portions of the spatial market, collusion on the remaining market is less stable with spatial price discrimination making such collusion less likely relative to uniform pricing.

Suggested Citation

  • John S. Heywood & Dongyang Li & Guangliang Ye, 2020. "Does price discrimination make collusion less likely? a delivered pricing model," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 131(1), pages 39-60, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jeczfn:v:131:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1007_s00712-020-00699-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s00712-020-00699-4
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s00712-020-00699-4
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s00712-020-00699-4?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hamilton, Jonathan H. & Thisse, Jacques-Francois & Weskamp, Anita, 1989. "Spatial discrimination : Bertrand vs. Cournot in a model of location choice," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 19(1), pages 87-102, February.
    2. Colombo, Stefano, 2010. "Product differentiation, price discrimination and collusion," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(1), pages 18-27, March.
    3. Helfrich, Magdalena & Herweg, Fabian, 2016. "Fighting collusion by permitting price discrimination," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 148-151.
    4. repec:bla:econom:v:48:y:1981:i:189:p:87-91 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Kai Andree & John S. Heywood & Mike Schwan & Zheng Wang, 2018. "A Spatial Model Of Cartel Stability: The Influence Of Production Cost Convexity," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 70(3), pages 298-311, July.
    6. Gupta, Barnali, 1994. "Competitive spatial price discrimination with strictly convex production costs," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 24(2), pages 265-272, April.
    7. Chang, Myong-Hun, 1992. "Intertemporal Product Choice and Its Effects on Collusive Firm Behavior," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 33(4), pages 773-793, November.
    8. Thisse, Jacques-Francois & Vives, Xavier, 1988. "On the Strategic Choice of Spatial Price Policy," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 78(1), pages 122-137, March.
    9. Mouraviev, Igor & Rey, Patrick, 2011. "Collusion and leadership," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 29(6), pages 705-717.
    10. repec:bla:econom:v:48:y:1981:i:189:p:79-86 is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Stefano Colombo, 2011. "Discriminatory prices and the prisoner dilemma problem," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 46(2), pages 397-416, April.
    12. Maria Paz Espinosa, 1992. "Delivered Pricing, FOB Pricing, and Collusion in Spatial Markets," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 23(1), pages 64-85, Spring.
    13. d'Aspremont, C & Gabszewicz, Jean Jaskold & Thisse, J-F, 1979. "On Hotelling's "Stability in Competition"," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 47(5), pages 1145-1150, September.
    14. Robert H. Porter & J. Douglas Zona, 1999. "Ohio School Milk Markets: An Analysis of Bidding," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 30(2), pages 263-288, Summer.
    15. Heywood, John S. & Wang, Shiqiang & Ye, Guangliang, 2018. "Resale price maintenance and spatial price discrimination," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 147-174.
    16. Stefano Colombo, 2012. "Collusion in two models of spatial competition with quantity-setting firms," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 48(1), pages 45-69, February.
    17. Toshihiro Matsumura & Noriaki Matsushima, 2005. "Cartel Stability in a Delivered Pricing Oligopoly," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 86(3), pages 259-292, December.
    18. Hackner, Jonas, 1995. "Endogenous product design in an infinitely repeated game," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 13(2), pages 277-299.
    19. Barnali Gupta & Guhan Venkatu, 2002. "Tacit Collusion in a Spatial Model with Delivered Pricing," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 76(1), pages 49-64, May.
    20. Tong Zhang & Yixue Huo & Xin Zhang & Jie Shuai, 2019. "Endogenous third-degree price discrimination in Hotelling model with elastic demand," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 127(2), pages 125-145, July.
    21. John Greenhut & M. L. Greenhut & Sheng-yung Li, 1980. "Spatial Pricing Patterns in the United States," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 94(2), pages 329-350.
    22. Liu, Qihong & Serfes, Konstantinos, 2007. "Market segmentation and collusive behavior," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 25(2), pages 355-378, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Rupayan Pal & Sumit Shrivastav, 2024. "Privacy regulation, cognitive ability, and stability of collusion," Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai Working Papers 2024-004, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai, India.
    2. John S. Heywood & Dongyang Li & Guangliang Ye, 2021. "Spatial pricing and collusion," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 72(2), pages 425-440, May.
    3. John S. Heywood & Zheng Wang, 2020. "Profitable collusion on costs: a spatial model," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 131(3), pages 267-286, December.
    4. Esteves, Rosa-Branca & Shuai, Jie, 2022. "Personalized pricing with a price sensitive demand," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 213(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. John S. Heywood & Zheng Wang, 2020. "Profitable collusion on costs: a spatial model," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 131(3), pages 267-286, December.
    2. John S. Heywood & Dongyang Li & Guangliang Ye, 2021. "Spatial pricing and collusion," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 72(2), pages 425-440, May.
    3. Colombo, Stefano, 2012. "An indifference result concerning collusion in spatial frameworks," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(1), pages 18-21.
    4. Kai Andree & John S. Heywood & Mike Schwan & Zheng Wang, 2018. "A Spatial Model Of Cartel Stability: The Influence Of Production Cost Convexity," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 70(3), pages 298-311, July.
    5. Stefano Colombo, 2011. "Pricing Policy and Partial Collusion," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 11(4), pages 325-349, December.
    6. Colombo, Stefano, 2013. "Cartels in the unidirectional Hotelling model," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 690-696.
    7. Stefano Colombo, 2009. "The unidirectional Hotelling model with spatial price discrimination," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 29(4), pages 3031-3040.
    8. Miklós-Thal, Jeanine, 2008. "Delivered pricing and the impact of spatial differentiation on cartel stability," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 26(6), pages 1365-1380, November.
    9. Jeanine Thal, 2006. "Delivered Pricing and the Effect of Horizontal Differentiation on Optimal Collusion," Working Papers 2006-22, Center for Research in Economics and Statistics.
    10. Stefano Colombo, 2011. "Spatial price discrimination in the unidirectional Hotelling model with elastic demand," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 102(2), pages 157-169, March.
    11. Stefano Colombo, 2011. "Spatially asymmetric firms and the sustainability of a price agreement," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 31(3), pages 2414-2421.
    12. Stefano Colombo, 2012. "Collusion in two models of spatial competition with quantity-setting firms," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 48(1), pages 45-69, February.
    13. Stefano Colombo, 2012. "Colluding on a Price Increase," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 12(4), pages 365-371, December.
    14. Stefano Colombo, 2009. "Sustainability of collusion with imperfect price discrimination and inelastic demand functions," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 29(3), pages 1687-1694.
    15. Gabriel Courey, 2018. "Spatial price discrimination, sequential location and convex production costs," Letters in Spatial and Resource Sciences, Springer, vol. 11(2), pages 223-232, July.
    16. Stefano Colombo, 2013. "Product Differentiation and Collusion Sustainability When Collusion Is Costly," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 32(4), pages 669-674, July.
    17. Döpper, Hendrik & Rasch, Alexander, 2024. "Combinable products, price discrimination, and collusion," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    18. Döpper, Hendrik & Rasch, Alexander, 2022. "Combinable products, price discrimination, and collusion," DICE Discussion Papers 377, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics (DICE).
    19. Stefano Colombo & Aldo Pignataro, 2022. "Information accuracy and collusion," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(3), pages 638-656, August.
    20. Kai Andree, 2013. "Collusion in Spatially Separated Markets with Quantity Competition," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 13(3), pages 309-318, September.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Uniform pricing; Spatial price discrimination; Collusion stability;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • L41 - Industrial Organization - - Antitrust Issues and Policies - - - Monopolization; Horizontal Anticompetitive Practices
    • R32 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Real Estate Markets, Spatial Production Analysis, and Firm Location - - - Other Spatial Production and Pricing Analysis

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:jeczfn:v:131:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1007_s00712-020-00699-4. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.