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Finding a Good Deal: Stable Prices, Costly Search, and the Effect of Entry

Author

Listed:
  • David P. Myatt

    (London Business School)

  • David Ronayne

    (ESMT Berlin)

Abstract

We study markets in which potential buyers engage in costly search to find a good deal. Our novel solution concept for prices builds upon the idea that any movement in a firm's price is followed by an opportunity for its competitors to respond with special offers. This mechanism selects the highest prices such that no firm wishes to undercut a competitor. We identify a distinctive closed-form pattern of disperse prices that uniquely satisfy our pricing solution, and pair that price profile with optimal fixed-sample search. In a stable equilibrium with active search, the intensity of search and consumer surplus are lower and industry profit is higher with more competitors. In a concentrated oligopoly, complete search in equilibrium can eliminate industry profit.

Suggested Citation

  • David P. Myatt & David Ronayne, 2025. "Finding a Good Deal: Stable Prices, Costly Search, and the Effect of Entry," Rationality and Competition Discussion Paper Series 524, CRC TRR 190 Rationality and Competition.
    • Handle: RePEc:rco:dpaper:524
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