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Price competition in mixed strategies in markets with habit formation

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  • Alejandro Tatsuo Moreno Okuno

    (Universidad de Guanajuato)

Abstract

I analyze competition when individuals’ favorite characteristics are the characteristics of the products they have consumed in the past. I model a two-period game in which two firms compete with each other in a market of differentiated products where individuals’ favorite characteristics in the second period are the characteristics of the products they consumed in the first period. In this context, firms can manipulate the distribution of preferences. If firms differentiate their products, they will separate preferences, creating the equivalent of a switching cost between products. However, if firms produce similar products, they will reduce the cost of every individual to consume the product of the other firm, increasing competition. I solve for the Subgame Perfect Nash Equilibrium of the model and I find that firms choose to differentiate their products the most possible by placing their products at the extremes of the characteristic space.

Suggested Citation

  • Alejandro Tatsuo Moreno Okuno, 2010. "Price competition in mixed strategies in markets with habit formation," EconoQuantum, Revista de Economia y Finanzas, Universidad de Guadalajara, Centro Universitario de Ciencias Economico Administrativas, Departamento de Metodos Cuantitativos y Maestria en Economia., vol. 7(1), pages 67-93, Julio - D.
    • Handle: RePEc:qua:journl:v:7:y:2010:i:1:p:67-93
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    File URL: http://econoquantum.cucea.udg.mx/index.php/EQ/article/view/120
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Osborne, Martin J & Pitchik, Carolyn, 1987. "Equilibrium in Hotelling's Model of Spatial Competition," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 55(4), pages 911-922, July.
    2. George Loewenstein & Ted O'Donoghue & Matthew Rabin, 2003. "Projection Bias in Predicting Future Utility," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 118(4), pages 1209-1248.
    3. Alejandro Tatsuo Moreno-Okuno, 2012. "Habit formation and oligopolistic competition," Estudios Económicos, El Colegio de México, Centro de Estudios Económicos, vol. 27(2), pages 379-400.
    4. Pollak, Robert A, 1970. "Habit Formation and Dynamic Demand Functions," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 78(4), pages 745-763, Part I Ju.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Cited by:

    1. Alejandro Tatsuo Moreno-Okuno, 2012. "Habit formation and oligopolistic competition," Estudios Económicos, El Colegio de México, Centro de Estudios Económicos, vol. 27(2), pages 379-400.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    habit-formation; oligopolistic competition; product differentiation; Hotelling's location model.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D43 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Oligopoly and Other Forms of Market Imperfection
    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets

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