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Access Pricing and Entry in the Postal Sector

Author

Listed:
  • Bloch Francis

    (GREQAM, Université de la Méditerranée and Warwick University)

  • Gautier Axel

    (HEC, Université de Liège and CORE, Université Catholique de Louvain)

Abstract

In a fully liberalized postal market, two business models will be possible for a new postal operator: (1) access: where the firm performs the upstream operations and uses the incumbent's network for final delivery and (2) bypass where the competing firm controls the entire supply chain and delivers mails with its own network. The choice between access and bypass depends on the entrant's delivery cost relative to the access price. In this paper, we derive welfare maximizing prices for the incumbent operator and we show how these prices should be re-balanced when the entry method is considered as endogenous.

Suggested Citation

  • Bloch Francis & Gautier Axel, 2008. "Access Pricing and Entry in the Postal Sector," Review of Network Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 7(2), pages 1-24, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bpj:rneart:v:7:y:2008:i:2:n:3
    DOI: 10.2202/1446-9022.1146
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Axel Gautier & Manipushpak Mitra, 2008. "Regulation of an Open Access Essential Facility," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 75(300), pages 662-682, November.
    2. Philippe Donder & Helmuth Cremer & Paul Dudley & Frank Rodriguez, 2006. "Pricing and Welfare Implications of Alternative Approaches to Setting Price Controls in the Postal Sector," Topics in Regulatory Economics and Policy, in: Michael A. Crew & Paul R. Kleindorfer (ed.), Progress toward Liberalization of the Postal and Delivery Sector, chapter 0, pages 227-247, Springer.
    3. Philippe Donder, 2006. "Access Pricing in the Postal Sector: Theory and Simulations," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 28(3), pages 307-326, May.
    4. Laffont, Jean-Jacques & Tirole, Jean, 1994. "Access pricing and competition," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 38(9), pages 1673-1710, December.
    5. E. Villemeur & Helmuth Cremer & Bernard Roy & Joëlle Toledano, 2007. "Worksharing, access and bypass: the structure of prices in the postal sector," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 32(1), pages 67-85, August.
    6. DAM, Kaniska & GAUTIER, Axel & MITRA, Manipushpak, 2007. "Efficient access pricing and endogenous market structure," LIDAM Discussion Papers CORE 2007004, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE).
    7. Michael A. Crew & Paul R. Kleindorfer, 2005. "Competition, Universal Service and the Graveyard Spiral," Topics in Regulatory Economics and Policy, in: Michael A. Crew & Paul R. Kleindorfer (ed.), Regulatory and Economic Challenges in the Postal and Delivery Sector, chapter 0, pages 1-30, Springer.
    8. Mark Armstrong, 2001. "Access Pricing, Bypass, and Universal Service," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 91(2), pages 297-301, May.
    9. Armstrong, Mark & Doyle, Chris & Vickers, John, 1996. "The Access Pricing Problem: A Synthesis," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(2), pages 131-150, June.
    10. De Donder, Philippe, 2006. "Access Pricing in the Postal Sector," IDEI Working Papers 319, Institut d'Économie Industrielle (IDEI), Toulouse.
    11. Michael A. Crew & Paul R. Kleindorfer, 2006. "The Welfare Effects of Entry and Strategies for Maintaining the USO in the Postal Sector," Topics in Regulatory Economics and Policy, in: Michael A. Crew & Paul R. Kleindorfer (ed.), Progress toward Liberalization of the Postal and Delivery Sector, chapter 0, pages 3-22, Springer.
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    Cited by:

    1. Keizo Mizuno & Ichiro Yoshino, 2015. "Overusing a bypass under cost-based access regulation: underinvestment with spillovers," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 47(1), pages 29-57, February.
    2. DAM, Kaniska & GAUTIER, Axel & MITRA, Manipushpak, 2007. "Efficient access pricing and endogenous market structure," LIDAM Discussion Papers CORE 2007004, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE).
    3. Gautier Axel & Paolini Dimitri, 2011. "Universal Service Financing in Competitive Postal Markets: One Size Does Not Fit All," Review of Network Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 10(3), pages 1-30, September.
    4. Francis Bloch & Axel Gautier, 2017. "Strategic bypass deterrence," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 52(2), pages 189-210, October.
    5. Kevin M. Currier, 2012. "Optimal pricing of postal services under endogenously determined entry," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 32(4), pages 3503-3511.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • L51 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Economics of Regulation
    • L87 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Postal and Delivery Services

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