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Pricing and price competition in consumer markets

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  • Ante Farm

    (Stockholm University)

Abstract

This paper offers a simple model of the price mechanism in markets where buyers take prices as given and prices are set by sellers, as in most consumer markets. It explains price competition by arguing that a market price goes down if—and only if—a price cut appears profitable to a firm even if its competitors follow suit. It also explains why markets do not always clear, that is, why production can be restricted by sales and not capacity at prices set by firms.

Suggested Citation

  • Ante Farm, 2017. "Pricing and price competition in consumer markets," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 120(2), pages 119-133, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:kap:jeczfn:v:120:y:2017:i:2:d:10.1007_s00712-016-0503-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s00712-016-0503-7
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Seaton, Jonathan S. & Waterson, Michael, 2013. "Identifying and characterising price leadership in British supermarkets," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 31(5), pages 392-403.
    2. Pastine, Ivan & Pastine, Tuvana, 2004. "Cost of delay and endogenous price leadership," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 135-145, January.
    3. Morten Hviid, 1990. "Sequential capacity and price choices in a duopoly model with demand uncertainty," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 51(2), pages 121-144, June.
    4. Raymond J. Deneckere & Dan Kovenock, 1992. "Price Leadership," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 59(1), pages 143-162.
      • Raymond Deneckere & Dan Kovenock, 1988. "Price Leadership," Discussion Papers 773, Northwestern University, Center for Mathematical Studies in Economics and Management Science.
    5. Deneckere, Raymond J & Kovenock, Dan & Lee, Robert, 1992. "A Model of Price Leadership Based on Consumer Loyalty," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(2), pages 147-156, June.
    6. W. Hildenbrand & H. Sonnenschein (ed.), 1991. "Handbook of Mathematical Economics," Handbook of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, edition 1, volume 4, number 4.
    7. George J. Stigler, 1947. "The Kinky Oligopoly Demand Curve and Rigid Prices," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 55(5), pages 432-432.
    8. Rotemberg, Julio J & Saloner, Garth, 1990. "Collusive Price Leadership," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(1), pages 93-111, September.
    9. Farm, Ante, 1988. "Cooperative oligopolistic pricing," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 4(1), pages 13-28.
    10. Ishibashi, Ikuo, 2008. "Collusive price leadership with capacity constraints," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 26(3), pages 704-715, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Ali, Syed Mithun & Rahman, Md. Hafizur & Tumpa, Tasmia Jannat & Moghul Rifat, Abid Ali & Paul, Sanjoy Kumar, 2018. "Examining price and service competition among retailers in a supply chain under potential demand disruption," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 40-47.
    2. Farm, Ante, 2017. "Pricing and production in consumer markets where sales depend on production," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 154(C), pages 17-19.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Oligopoly; Pricing; Price competition; Price leadership;
    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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