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Discriminatory nonlinear pricing, fixed costs, and welfare in intermediate-goods markets

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  • Herweg, Fabian
  • Müller, Daniel

Abstract

We investigate the welfare effects of third-degree price discrimination in input markets when nonlinear wholesale tariffs are feasible. After accepting their respective wholesale contracts, two downstream firms have to pay a fixed cost in order to become active in the downstream market. If the downstream firm with lower marginal cost has significantly higher fixed cost, uniform pricing leads to lower marginal wholesale prices for all downstream firms and thus higher quantities of the final product being produced. This in turn implies that banning price discrimination improves welfare and consumer surplus. If the downstream firm with lower marginal cost has only weakly higher (or even lower) fixed cost, banning price discrimination deteriorates welfare and consumer surplus.

Suggested Citation

  • Herweg, Fabian & Müller, Daniel, 2016. "Discriminatory nonlinear pricing, fixed costs, and welfare in intermediate-goods markets," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 107-136.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:indorg:v:46:y:2016:i:c:p:107-136
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ijindorg.2016.04.001
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Chin-Sheng Chen, 2017. "Price Discrimination in Input Markets and Quality Differentiation," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 50(3), pages 367-388, May.
    2. Brito, Duarte & Tselekounis, Markos & Vasconcelos, Helder, 2019. "Input price discrimination in the presence of downstream vertical differentiation," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 184(C).
    3. Ioannis N. Pinopoulos, 2020. "Input Price Discrimination and Upstream R&D Investments," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 57(1), pages 85-106, August.
    4. Ioannis N. Pinopoulos, 2022. "Input Price Discrimination, Two‐Part Tariffs and Bargaining," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 70(4), pages 1058-1090, December.
    5. Choné, Philippe & Linnemer, Laurent, 2020. "Linear demand systems for differentiated goods: Overview and user’s guide," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    6. Youping Li, 2017. "Differential Pricing in Intermediate Good Markets," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 65(3), pages 585-596, September.
    7. Kangsik Choi & DongJoon Lee & Seonyoung Lim, 2022. "A Note on Input Price Discrimination Under Bertrand Competition: Simultaneous vs. Sequential Contracting," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 61(2), pages 223-246, September.
    8. Chin-Sheng Chen, 2022. "Input Price Discrimination and Allocation Efficiency," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 60(1), pages 93-107, February.
    9. Germain Gaudin & Romain Lestage, 2022. "Input Price Discrimination, Demand Forms, And Welfare," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 70(4), pages 1033-1057, December.
    10. Ioannis Pinopoulos, 2017. "Input price discrimination, two-part tariff contracts and bargaining," Discussion Paper Series 2017_01, Department of Economics, University of Macedonia, revised Jan 2017.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Fixed cost; Third-degree price discrimination; Two-part tariffs; Vertical relations;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D43 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Oligopoly and Other Forms of Market Imperfection
    • K21 - Law and Economics - - Regulation and Business Law - - - Antitrust Law
    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms
    • L42 - Industrial Organization - - Antitrust Issues and Policies - - - Vertical Restraints; Resale Price Maintenance; Quantity Discounts

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