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Switching Costs, Firm Size, and Market Structure

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Author Info
Simon Loertscher () (Economic Department, University of Berne)
Yves Schneider () (Socioeconomic Institute, University of Zurich)

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Abstract

In many markets, homogenous goods and services are sold both by large global frms and small local frms. Surprisingly, the large frms charge, often substantially, higher prices. Examples include hotels, airlines, and coffee shops. This paper provides a parsimonious model that can account for these pricing patterns. In this model, consumers face costs when switching from one supplier to another and consumers change locations with a given positive probability. Consequently, large frms or "chain stores" insure consumers against this switching cost. The model predicts that chain stores and local stores coexist in equilibrium and that chain stores charge higher prices and yet attract more consumers than local stores. As consumer mobility increases, the profits of both local stores and chain stores increase, but the chain stores' profts increase at a faster rate.

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File URL: http://www.soi.uzh.ch/research/wp/2005/wp0508.pdf
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Publisher Info
Paper provided by University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute in its series Working Papers with number 0508.

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Length: 29 pages
Date of creation: Aug 2005
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Handle: RePEc:soz:wpaper:0508

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Related research
Keywords: Firm size switching costs consumer mobility market structure

Other versions of this item:

Find related papers by JEL classification:
D43 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure and Pricing - - - Oligopoly and Other Forms of Market Imperfection
L15 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Information and Product Quality

This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
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    Other versions:
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    Other versions:
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    Other versions:
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Andras Niedermayer, 2006. "Does a Platform Monopolist Want Competition?," Diskussionsschriften dp0604, Universitaet Bern, Departement Volkswirtschaft. [Downloadable!]
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