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Heterogeneous switching costs

Author

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  • Biglaiser, Gary
  • Crémer, Jacques
  • Dobos, Gergely

Abstract

We consider a two period model where consumers have different switching costs. Before the market opens an Incumbent sells to all consumers; after the market opens competitors appear. We identify the equilibrium both with Stackelberg and Bertrand competition and show how the presence of low switching cost consumers benefits the Incumbent, despite the fact that it never sells to any of them. Furthermore, we identify a free rider effect among consumers.

Suggested Citation

  • Biglaiser, Gary & Crémer, Jacques & Dobos, Gergely, 2016. "Heterogeneous switching costs," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 62-87.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:indorg:v:47:y:2016:i:c:p:62-87
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ijindorg.2016.04.003
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bouckaert, Jan & Degryse, Hans & Provoost, Thomas, 2010. "Enhancing market power by reducing switching costs," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 109(2), pages 131-133, November.
    2. Yongmin Chen, 1997. "Paying Customers to Switch," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 6(4), pages 877-897, December.
    3. Paulo Somaini & Liran Einav, 2013. "A Model of Market Power in Customer Markets," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 61(4), pages 938-986, December.
    4. Joseph E. Harrington Jr & Yannis Katsoulacos (ed.), 2012. "Recent Advances in the Analysis of Competition Policy and Regulation," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 14933.
    5. Farrell, Joseph & Klemperer, Paul, 2007. "Coordination and Lock-In: Competition with Switching Costs and Network Effects," Handbook of Industrial Organization, in: Mark Armstrong & Robert Porter (ed.), Handbook of Industrial Organization, edition 1, volume 3, chapter 31, pages 1967-2072, Elsevier.
    6. Biglaiser, Gary & Crémer, Jacques & Dobos, Gergely, 2013. "The value of switching costs," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 148(3), pages 935-952.
    7. Paul Klemperer, 1987. "Markets with Consumer Switching Costs," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 102(2), pages 375-394.
    8. Taylor, Curtis R, 2003. "Supplier Surfing: Competition and Consumer Behavior in Subscription Markets," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 34(2), pages 223-246, Summer.
    9. Luis Cabral, 2016. "Dynamic Pricing in Customer Markets with Switching Costs," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 20, pages 43-62, April.
    10. Klemperer, Paul D, 1987. "Entry Deterrence in Markets with Consumer Switching Costs," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 97(388a), pages 99-117, Supplemen.
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    Cited by:

    1. Dong, Rong & Wang, Nengmin & Jiang, Bin & He, Qidong, 2023. "Within-brand or cross-brand: The trade-in option under consumer switching costs," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 255(C).
    2. Sam Flanders & Melati Nungsari & Marcela Parada‐Contzen, 2020. "Pricing schemes and market efficiency in private retirement systems," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 22(4), pages 1041-1068, August.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Switching cost; Competition; Stackelberg; Bertrand;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D43 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Oligopoly and Other Forms of Market Imperfection
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets

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