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Consumer Decision‐making at an Internet Shopbot: Brand Still Matters

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  • Michael D. Smith
  • Erik Brynjolfsson

Abstract

Internet shopbots compare prices and service levels at competing retailers, creating a laboratory for analysing consumer choice. We analyse 20,268 shopbot consumers who select various books from 33 retailers over 69 days. Although each retailer offers a homogeneous product, we find that brand is an important determinant of consumer choice. The three most heavily branded retailers hold a $1.72 price advantage over more generic retailers in head‐to‐head price comparisons. In particular, we find that consumers use brand as a proxy for retailer credibility in non‐contractible aspects of the product and service bundle, such as shipping reliability.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael D. Smith & Erik Brynjolfsson, 2001. "Consumer Decision‐making at an Internet Shopbot: Brand Still Matters," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 49(4), pages 541-558, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jindec:v:49:y:2001:i:4:p:541-558
    DOI: 10.1111/1467-6451.00162
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