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Price Search Across Stores and Across Time

Author

Listed:
  • Navid Mojir

    (Yale School of Management)

  • K. Sudhir

    (Yale School of Management and Cowles Foundation)

Abstract

In response to price dispersion across stores and price promotions over time, consumers search across both stores (spatial) and time (temporal), in many retail settings. Yet there is no search model in extant research that jointly endogenizes search in both dimensions. We develop a model of spatiotemporal search that nests a finite horizon model of spatial search across stores within an infinite horizon model of inter-temporal search. The model is estimated using an iterative procedure that formulates it as a mathematical program with equilibrium constraints (MPEC) embedded within an E-M algorithm to allow estimation of latent class heterogeneity. The empirical analysis uses data on household store visits and purchases in the milk category. In contrast to extant research, we find that omitting the temporal dimension underestimates price elasticity. We attribute this difference to the relative frequency of household stock outs and purchase frequency in the milk category. Further, contrary to the conventional wisdom that promotions increase store switching and reduces store loyalty, we find that in the presence of search frictions, price promotions can be a store loyalty-enhancing tool.

Suggested Citation

  • Navid Mojir & K. Sudhir, 2014. "Price Search Across Stores and Across Time," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 1942, Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics, Yale University, revised Mar 2016.
    • Handle: RePEc:cwl:cwldpp:1942
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    File URL: https://cowles.yale.edu/sites/default/files/files/pub/d19/d1942.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Mantian (Mandy) Hu & Chu (Ivy) Dang & Pradeep K. Chintagunta, 2019. "Search and Learning at a Daily Deals Website," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 38(4), pages 609-642, July.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Structural models; Sales promotions; Dynamic Programming; Retailing;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L81 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Retail and Wholesale Trade; e-Commerce
    • M31 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Marketing and Advertising - - - Marketing
    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis

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