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Third-Degree Price Discrimination in Oligopoly When Markets Are Covered

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  • Markus Dertwinkel-Kalt
  • Christian Wey

Abstract

We analyze oligopolistic third-degree price discrimination relative to uniform pricing when markets are always covered. Pricing equilibria are critically determined by supply-side features such as the number of firms and their marginal cost differences. It follows that each firm’s Lerner index under uniform pricing is equal to the weighted harmonic mean of the firm’s relative margins under discriminatory pricing. Uniform pricing then decreases average prices and raises consumer surplus. We provide an intriguingly simple approach to calculate the gain in consumer surplus and loss in firms’ profits from uniform pricing only based on market data of the discriminatory equilibrium (prices and quantities).

Suggested Citation

  • Markus Dertwinkel-Kalt & Christian Wey, 2020. "Third-Degree Price Discrimination in Oligopoly When Markets Are Covered," CESifo Working Paper Series 8785, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_8785
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    third-degree price discrimination; oligopolistic competition; market integration;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D43 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Oligopoly and Other Forms of Market Imperfection
    • 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
    • K21 - Law and Economics - - Regulation and Business Law - - - Antitrust Law

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