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Follow the leader: price change timing in Internet-based selling

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  • Robert J. Kauffman

    (Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA)

  • Charles A. Wood

    (Notre Dame University, Notre Dame, IN, USA)

Abstract

Internet technologies should lessen information asymmetry, prompting competitive price reactions, but this does not seem to be happening in Internet-based selling. We study empirical regularities of price change timing for music CD vendors and booksellers to assess several theoretical explanations. Our sample includes 123, 680 daily prices for 169 products and 53 firms. Bertrand competition is insufficient to explain our observation that sellers do not shift prices this way. Tacitly collusive responses to competitors' price changes are observed rather than price changes solely in response to demand or cost shifts as would be expected with Bertrand competition. We find evidence of business rules for strategic pricing associated with tacitly collusive pricing and Edgeworth competition. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Suggested Citation

  • Robert J. Kauffman & Charles A. Wood, 2007. "Follow the leader: price change timing in Internet-based selling," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(7), pages 679-700.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:mgtdec:v:28:y:2007:i:7:p:679-700
    DOI: 10.1002/mde.1375
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    2. Daniel Levy, 2007. "Price rigidity and flexibility: new empirical evidence," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(7), pages 639-647.
    3. Angela S. Bergantino & Claudia Capozza & Mauro Capurso, 2018. "Pricing strategies: who leads and who follows in the air and rail passenger markets in Italy," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(46), pages 4937-4953, October.
    4. Böheim, René & Hackl, Franz & Hölzl-Leitner, Michael, 2021. "The impact of price adjustment costs on price dispersion in e-commerce," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    5. Ourania Vitouladiti, 2015. "The Evolved And More Complex Role Of Travel Agencies And Tour Operators In The Online Era. Effects On Their Marketing Management," Tourism Research Institute, Journal of Tourism Research, vol. 11(1), pages 190-200, September.
    6. Jorge Lemus & Fernando Luco, 2021. "Price Leadership and Uncertainty About Future Costs," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 69(2), pages 305-337, June.
    7. Rajesh Chakrabarti & Barry Scholnick, 2007. "The mechanics of price adjustment: new evidence on the (un)importance of menu costs," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(7), pages 657-668.
    8. Sulin Ba & Jan Stallaert & Zhongju Zhang, 2012. "Research Note ---Online Price Dispersion: A Game-Theoretic Perspective and Empirical Evidence," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 23(2), pages 575-592, June.

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