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99 Cent: Price points in e-commerce

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  • Hackl, Franz
  • Kummer, Michael E.
  • Winter-Ebmer, Rudolf

Abstract

Setting prices ending in nines is a common feature of many markets for consumer products. This prevalence has been explained either by a specific image of such price points or by the exploitation of rational inattention on the part of the consumers who want to economize on the cost of information processing. We use data from an Austrian price comparison site and find a remarkable prevalence of such price setting. Prices ending with nine are also sticky: price-setters change them with a significantly lower probability; rivals underbid these prices more seldom if they represent the cheapest price on the market, and we observe higher price jumps by price leaders for these price points. Finally, we explore the impact of these price points on the consumers’ demand.

Suggested Citation

  • Hackl, Franz & Kummer, Michael E. & Winter-Ebmer, Rudolf, 2014. "99 Cent: Price points in e-commerce," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 26(C), pages 12-27.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:iepoli:v:26:y:2014:i:c:p:12-27
    DOI: 10.1016/j.infoecopol.2013.10.001
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    Cited by:

    1. Franz Hackl & Rudolf Winter-Ebmer, 2020. "Customer reactions to a webshop’s service quality," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 47(4), pages 699-731, November.
    2. Avichai Snir & Daniel Levy, 2021. "If You Think 9-Ending Prices Are Low, Think Again," Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, University of Chicago Press, vol. 6(1), pages 33-47.
    3. Antonio Filippin, 2013. "The Effect of .99 Price Endings on Consumer Demand: An Example of Confounding Factors Surviving in Field Experiments," Journal of Economics and Management, College of Business, Feng Chia University, Taiwan, vol. 9(2), pages 211-229, July.
    4. Glenn Ellison & Sara Fisher Ellison, 2017. "Search and Obfuscation in a Technologically Changing Retail Environment: Some Thoughts on Implications and Policy," NBER Chapters, in: Innovation Policy and the Economy, Volume 18, pages 1-25, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Franz Hackl & Michael Hölzl‐Leitner & Rudolf Winter‐Ebmer & Christine Zulehner, 2021. "Successful retailer strategies in price comparison platforms," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 42(5), pages 1284-1305, July.
    6. Marcial López-Pastor & Jesús García-Madariaga & Joaquín Sánchez & Jose Figueiredo, 2020. "Demand Impact for Prices Ending with “9” and “0” in Online and Offline Consumer Goods Retail Trade Channels," International Review of Management and Marketing, Econjournals, vol. 10(6), pages 58-78.
    7. Jeong, Ji Youn & Crompton, John L., 2017. "The use of odd-ending numbers in the pricing of five tourism services in three different cultures," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 135-146.
    8. Jason Beck & Lindsay Levine & Michael Toma, 2024. "Just‐below pricing in real estate: Impact by price segment and market conditions," American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 83(1), pages 17-34, January.
    9. Ater, Itai & Gerlitz, Omri, 2017. "Round prices and price rigidity: Evidence from outlawing odd prices," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 188-203.
    10. Antonio FILIPPIN, 2009. "A field experiment on the effect of .99 price endings," Departmental Working Papers 2009-26, Department of Economics, Management and Quantitative Methods at Università degli Studi di Milano.
    11. Franz Hackl & Michael Hölzl-Leitner & Rudolf Winter-Ebmer & Christine Zulehner, 2018. "Success of firm strategies in e-commerce," Economics working papers 2018-10, Department of Economics, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    E-commerce; Pricing behavior; Focal prices; Price stability;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M31 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Marketing and Advertising - - - Marketing
    • L81 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Retail and Wholesale Trade; e-Commerce
    • L25 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Performance

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