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The Effects of Competition and Entry in Multi-sided Markets

Author

Listed:
  • Guofu Tan
  • Junjie Zhou

Abstract

We study price competition and entry of platforms in multi-sided markets. Utilizing the simplicity of the equilibrium pricing formula in our setting with heterogeneity of customers’ membership benefits, we demonstrate that in the presence of externalities, the standard effects of competition can be reversed: as platform competition increases, prices, and platform profits can go up and consumer surplus can go down. We identify economic forces that jointly determine the social inefficiency of the free-entry equilibrium and provide conditions under which free entry is socially excessive as well as an example in which free entry is socially insufficient.

Suggested Citation

  • Guofu Tan & Junjie Zhou, 2021. "The Effects of Competition and Entry in Multi-sided Markets," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 88(2), pages 1002-1030.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:restud:v:88:y:2021:i:2:p:1002-1030.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/restud/rdaa036
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Yuxuan Lu & Qian Qi & Xi Chen, 2023. "A Framework of Transaction Packaging in High-throughput Blockchains," Papers 2301.10944, arXiv.org.
    2. Shota Ichihashi & Byung-Cheol Kim, 2023. "Addictive Platforms," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 69(2), pages 1127-1145, February.
    3. Tremblay, Mark J. & Adachi, Takanori & Sato, Susumu, 2023. "Cournot platform competition with mixed-homing," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    4. Belleflamme, Paul & Peitz, Martin & Toulemonde, Eric, 2022. "The tension between market shares and profit under platform competition," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    5. Jan Frederic Nerbel & Markus Kreutzer, 2023. "Digital platform ecosystems in flux: From proprietary digital platforms to wide-spanning ecosystems," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 33(1), pages 1-20, December.
    6. Jiménez-Durán, Rafael, 2022. "The economics of content moderation: Theory and experimental evidence from hate speech on Twitter," Working Papers 324, The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, George J. Stigler Center for the Study of the Economy and the State.
    7. Xingchen Xu & Stephanie Lee & Yong Tan, 2023. "Algorithmic Collusion or Competition: the Role of Platforms' Recommender Systems," Papers 2309.14548, arXiv.org.
    8. Martin Peitz, 2024. "The Economic Theory of Two-Sided Platforms," CRC TR 224 Discussion Paper Series crctr224_2024_584, University of Bonn and University of Mannheim, Germany.
    9. Martin Peitz, 2023. "Governance and Regulation of Platforms," CRC TR 224 Discussion Paper Series crctr224_2023_480, University of Bonn and University of Mannheim, Germany.
    10. Chen, Ying-Ju & Zenou, Yves & Zhou, Junjie, 2022. "The impact of network topology and market structure on pricing," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 204(C).
    11. Yang Geng & Yulin Zhang & Jing Li, 2023. "Two-sided competition, platform services and online shopping market structure," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 138(2), pages 95-127, March.
    12. Carrillo, Juan D. & Tan, Guofu, 2021. "Platform competition with complementary products," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    13. Takanori Adachi & Susumu Sato & Mark J. Tremblay, 2023. "Platform Oligopoly with Endogenous Homing: Implications for Mergers and Free Entry," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 71(4), pages 1203-1232, December.
    14. repec:bon:boncrc:crctr224_2023_428v2 is not listed on IDEAS
    15. Jeon, Doh-Shin & Lefouili, Yassine & Li, Yaxin & Simcoe, Timothy, 2023. "Ecosystems and Complementary Platforms," TSE Working Papers 23-1468, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE), revised Apr 2024.
    16. Rafael Jimenez-Duran, 2021. "The Economics of Content Moderation: Theory and Experimental Evidence from Hate Speech on Twitter," Natural Field Experiments 00754, The Field Experiments Website.
    17. Emerson Melo, 2022. "On the uniqueness of quantal response equilibria and its application to network games," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 74(3), pages 681-725, October.
    18. repec:ags:aaea22:335481 is not listed on IDEAS
    19. Fu, Xiao & Tan, Guofu & Wang, Jin, 2023. "Policy orientations and technology choices in standards wars," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).

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