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Collusion, price dispersion, and fringe competition

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  • de Roos, Nicolas
  • Smirnov, Vladimir

Abstract

We study the optimal behaviour of a cartel faced with fringe competition and imperfectly attentive consumers. Intertemporal price dispersion obfuscates consumer price comparison which aids the cartel through two channels: it reduces the effectiveness of free riding by the fringe; and it relaxes the cartel’s internal incentive constraints. Our theory explains the survival of a price-setting cartel in a homogeneous product market, provides a collusive rationale for sales and Edgeworth cycles, and characterises the cartel’s manipulation of its fringe rival through a double cut-off rule.

Suggested Citation

  • de Roos, Nicolas & Smirnov, Vladimir, 2019. "Collusion, price dispersion, and fringe competition," Working Papers 2019-13, University of Sydney, School of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:syd:wpaper:2019-13
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    Cited by:

    1. Iwan Bos & Marco A. Marini & Riccardo D. Saulle, 2021. "Myopic Oligopoly Pricing," "Marco Fanno" Working Papers 0271, Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche "Marco Fanno".
    2. Nicolas de Roos & Vladimir Smirnov, 2020. "Collusion with intertemporal price dispersion," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 51(1), pages 158-188, March.
    3. Iwan Bos & Marco A. Marini, 2022. "Collusion in quality‐segmented markets," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 24(2), pages 293-323, April.
    4. Simon Loertscher & Leslie M. Marx, 2021. "Coordinated Effects in Merger Review," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 64(4), pages 705-744.
    5. Leonardo Madio & Aldo Pignataro, 2022. "Collusion sustainability with a capacity constrained firm," "Marco Fanno" Working Papers 0295, Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche "Marco Fanno".
    6. Leonardo Madio & Aldo Pignataro, 2022. "Collusion Sustainability with a Capacity Constrained Firm," CESifo Working Paper Series 10170, CESifo.
    7. Bruce Mountain & Kelly Burns, 2021. "Loyalty taxes in retail electricity markets: not as they seem?," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 59(1), pages 1-24, February.
    8. Bovin, Andreas & Bos, Iwan, 2023. "Market Shares as Collusive Marker: Evidence from the European Truck Industry," Research Memorandum 011, Maastricht University, Graduate School of Business and Economics (GSBE).
    9. Nicolas de Roos, 2018. "Collusion with limited product comparability," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 49(3), pages 481-503, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Collusion; fringe competition; obfuscation; price dispersion;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness

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