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Location, Location, Location! A Classroom Demonstration of the Hotelling Model

Author

Listed:
  • Lisa R. Anderson

    (Department of Economics, College of William and Mary)

  • Beth A. Freeborn

    (Department of Economics, College of William and Mary)

  • Jessica Holmes

    (Department of Economics, Middlebury College)

  • Mark Jeffreys

    (Behavioral Science Department and Integrated Studies Department, Utah Valley State College)

  • Dan Lass

    (Department of Resource Economics, University of Massachusetts)

  • Jack Soper

    (Department of Economics and Finance, John Carroll University)

Abstract

This paper outlines a classroom experiment that complements the standard theoretical discussion of Hotelling's (1929) spatial competition model. The exercise provides students with a deeper understanding of the intuition behind competitive clustering, resolving the Bertrand paradox, and product positioning. Students act as street vendors operating within a “linear city.” Each student chooses a location, taking into account the locations of competitors and the transportation costs of customers. Other treatments include choosing price given location and a two-stage model of location and price. The experiment can be implemented in any size class, with very little preparation. It is well-suited for courses in microeconomics, industrial organization, game theory, experimental economics, and public choice economics, and also can be incorporated into political science courses.

Suggested Citation

  • Lisa R. Anderson & Beth A. Freeborn & Jessica Holmes & Mark Jeffreys & Dan Lass & Jack Soper, 2006. "Location, Location, Location! A Classroom Demonstration of the Hotelling Model," Working Papers 44, Department of Economics, College of William and Mary, revised 05 Feb 2007.
    • Handle: RePEc:cwm:wpaper:44
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    File URL: http://economics.wm.edu/wp/cwm_wp44rev.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. B. Curtis Eaton & Richard G. Lipsey, 1975. "The Principle of Minimum Differentiation Reconsidered: Some New Developments in the Theory of Spatial Competition," Review of Economic Studies, Oxford University Press, vol. 42(1), pages 27-49.
    2. Steffen Huck & Wieland M¸ller, 2002. "The East End, the West End, and King's Cross: on Clustering in the Four-Player Hotelling Game," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 40(2), pages 231-240, April.
    3. d'Aspremont, C & Gabszewicz, Jean Jaskold & Thisse, J-F, 1979. "On Hotelling's "Stability in Competition"," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 47(5), pages 1145-1150, September.
    4. Shaked, A, 1982. "Existence and Computation of Mixed Strategy Nash Equilibrium for 3-Firms Location Problem," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(1-2), pages 93-96, September.
    5. Cabral, Luis M. B., 2000. "Introduction to Industrial Organization," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262032864, December.
    6. Steffen Huck & Wieland M¸ller, 2002. "The East End, the West End, and King's Cross: on Clustering in the Four-Player Hotelling Game," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 40(2), pages 231-240, April.
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    Cited by:

    1. Michiel Bliemer & Laurent Denant-Boemont & Sabrina Hammiche & David Hensher & Corinne Mulley, 2020. "Urban Costs and the Spatial Structure of Cities: A Laboratory Experiment," Working Papers halshs-02440516, HAL.
    2. Michael P. Cameron, 2021. "Two models for illustrating the economics of media bias in introductory economics," Working Papers in Economics 21/08, University of Waikato.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    classroom experiment; location choice;

    JEL classification:

    • A22 - General Economics and Teaching - - Economic Education and Teaching of Economics - - - Undergraduate
    • C90 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - General
    • D21 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Theory
    • L10 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - General

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