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Consumer Heterogeneity and Pricing in a Duopoly with Switching Costs

Author

Listed:
  • Tommy Staahl Gabrielsen

    (University of Bergen)

  • Steinar Vagstad

    (University of Bergen)

Abstract

It is well-known that switching costs may facilitate monopoly pricing in a market with price competition between two suppliers of a homogenous good, provided the switching cost is above some critical level. We show that introducing consumer heterogeneity tends to increase the critical switching cost and thereby reduce the stability of the collusive outcome. A testable implication is that widespread price discrimination should go hand in hand with efforts to create switching costs.

Suggested Citation

  • Tommy Staahl Gabrielsen & Steinar Vagstad, 2000. "Consumer Heterogeneity and Pricing in a Duopoly with Switching Costs," Econometric Society World Congress 2000 Contributed Papers 0449, Econometric Society.
    • Handle: RePEc:ecm:wc2000:0449
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Lars A. Stole, 1995. "Nonlinear Pricing and Oligopoly," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 4(4), pages 529-562, December.
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    6. Wilson, Robert, 1997. "Nonlinear Pricing," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780195115826.
    7. Paul Klemperer, 1995. "Competition when Consumers have Switching Costs: An Overview with Applications to Industrial Organization, Macroeconomics, and International Trade," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 62(4), pages 515-539.
    8. Beggs, Alan W & Klemperer, Paul, 1992. "Multi-period Competition with Switching Costs," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 60(3), pages 651-666, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Gabrielsen, Tommy Staahl & Vagstad, Steinar, 2003. "Consumer heterogeneity, incomplete information and pricing in a duopoly with switching costs," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 15(3), pages 384-401, September.
    2. Sebátian Infante & Nicolás Figueroa & Ronald Fischer, 2007. "Competition with asymmetric switching costs," Documentos de Trabajo 241, Centro de Economía Aplicada, Universidad de Chile.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E31 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Price Level; Inflation; Deflation
    • E64 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Incomes Policy; Price Policy
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets

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