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Competitive Cross-Subsidization

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  • Chen, Zhijun
  • Rey, Patrick

Abstract

This paper analyzes competitive pricing policies by multiproduct firms facing heterogeneous buying patterns. We show that cross-subsidization arises when firms have comparative advantages on different products but are equally efficient overall: Firms earn a profit from multi-stop shoppers by charging positive margins on their strong products but, as price competition for one-stop shoppers drives total margins down to zero, they price weaker products below cost. Banning below-cost pricing leads to higher profits and higher prices for one-stop shoppers, and may reduce consumer surplus as well as total social welfare.

Suggested Citation

  • Chen, Zhijun & Rey, Patrick, 2013. "Competitive Cross-Subsidization," IDEI Working Papers 27776, Institut d'Économie Industrielle (IDEI), Toulouse.
    • Handle: RePEc:ide:wpaper:27776
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Andrea Attar & Thomas Mariotti & François Salanié, 2022. "Regulating Insurance Markets: Multiple Contracting And Adverse Selection," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 63(3), pages 981-1020, August.
    3. David Lowing & Léa Munich & Kevin Techer, 2024. "Allocating the common costs of a public service operator: an axiomatic approach," Working Papers 2024-05, CRESE.
    4. Caprice, Stéphane & Shekhar, Shiva, 2017. "Negative consumer value and loss leading," DICE Discussion Papers 271, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics (DICE).
    5. Stephane Caprice & Shiva Shekhar, 2019. "Negative market value and loss leading," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 39(1), pages 94-103.
    6. Jorge Florez-Acosta & Daniel Herrera-Araujo, 2017. "Multiproduct retailing and buyer power: The effects of product delisting on consumer shopping behavior," PSE Working Papers halshs-01518146, HAL.
    7. Yuta KITTAKA, 2018. "Multiproduct Firms, Consumer Search, and Demand Heterogeneity," ISER Discussion Paper 1024r, Institute of Social and Economic Research, Osaka University, revised Oct 2019.
    8. Zhou, Wei & Zhang, Keang & Zhang, Ying & Duan, Yunlong, 2021. "Operation strategies with respect to insurance subsidy optimization for online retailers dealing with large items," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 232(C).
    9. Zhou, Xiaoyang & Chen, Kexin & Wen, Haoyu & Lin, Jun & Zhang, Kai & Tian, Xin & Wang, Shouyang & Lev, Benjamin, 2021. "Integration of third-party platforms: Does it really hurt them?," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 234(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Bertrand competition; cross-subsidization; buying patterns; one-stop and multi-stop shopping;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms
    • L41 - Industrial Organization - - Antitrust Issues and Policies - - - Monopolization; Horizontal Anticompetitive Practices

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