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Multi-dimensional price discrimination

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  • Liu, Qihong
  • Shuai, Jie

Abstract

We examine the profitability and welfare implications of price discrimination in a multi-dimensional model. First, when firms price discriminate on one and the same dimension, uniform price lies in between discriminatory prices and price discrimination raises profits relative to uniform pricing. This is in contrast to common findings in existing one-dimensional models featuring best-response asymmetry, suggesting that price discrimination can have qualitatively different implications in one- and multi-dimensional models. Second, price discrimination on one and the same dimension is the likely outcome when price discrimination decisions are endogenized using a two-stage discrimination-then-pricing game. Correspondingly, an observation of one-dimensional price discrimination in practice does not necessarily indicate that the underlying model should be one-dimensional.

Suggested Citation

  • Liu, Qihong & Shuai, Jie, 2013. "Multi-dimensional price discrimination," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 31(5), pages 417-428.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:indorg:v:31:y:2013:i:5:p:417-428
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ijindorg.2013.07.007
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    1. Li, Youping & Shuai, Jie, 2019. "Monopolistic competition, price discrimination and welfare," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 174(C), pages 114-117.
    2. Akio Kawasaki, 2022. "Pricing Strategies and Partial Privatization Policy Based on Complementary Competitive Market," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 22(1), pages 99-123, March.
    3. Luo, Meiling & Li, Gang & Chen, Xudong, 2021. "Competitive location-based mobile coupon targeting strategy," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 58(C).
    4. Rosa-Branca Esteves & Qihong Liu & Jie Shuai, 2016. "Behavior-Based Price Discrimination in a Multi-Dimensional Preferences Market," NIPE Working Papers 4/2016, NIPE - Universidade do Minho.
    5. Heski Bar-Isaac & Sandro Shelegia, 2023. "Search, Showrooming, and Retailer Variety," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 42(2), pages 251-270, March.
    6. Akio Kawasaki, 2023. "Pricing Strategies and Partial Privatization Policy," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 62(3), pages 293-319, May.
    7. Clavorà Braulin, Francesco, 2023. "The effects of personal information on competition: Consumer privacy and partial price discrimination," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    8. Rosa Brana Esteves & Joana Resende, 2017. "Personalized Pricing with Targeted Advertising: Who are the Winners?," NIPE Working Papers 02/2017, NIPE - Universidade do Minho.
    9. Liu Qihong & Shuai Jie, 2016. "Price Discrimination with Varying Qualities of Information," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 16(2), pages 1093-1121, April.
    10. Sei Beom Won, 2017. "Two-dimensional price discrimination with uncertainty about willingness-to-pay," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 58(3), pages 513-541, May.
    11. Sapi, Geza & Suleymanova, Irina, 2013. "Consumer flexibility, data quality and targeted pricing," DICE Discussion Papers 117, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics (DICE).
    12. Rosa‐Branca Esteves & Qihong Liu & Jie Shuai, 2022. "Behavior‐based price discrimination with nonuniform distribution of consumer preferences," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(2), pages 324-355, April.
    13. Tong Zhang & Yixue Huo & Xin Zhang & Jie Shuai, 2019. "Endogenous third-degree price discrimination in Hotelling model with elastic demand," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 127(2), pages 125-145, July.
    14. Giorgio Gnecco & Fabio Pammolli & Berna Tuncay, 2022. "Welfare and research and development incentive effects of uniform and differential pricing schemes," Computational Management Science, Springer, vol. 19(2), pages 229-268, June.
    15. Baye, Irina & Reiz, Tim & Sapi, Geza, 2018. "Customer recognition and mobile geo-targeting," DICE Discussion Papers 285, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics (DICE).
    16. Hoe Sang Chung, 2016. "Behavior-Based Price Discrimination with Experience Goods," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 84(5), pages 675-695, September.
    17. Irina Baye & Geza Sapi, 2019. "Should Mobile Marketers Collect Data Other Than Geo‐Location?," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 121(2), pages 647-675, April.
    18. Clavorà Braulin, Francesco, 2021. "The effects of personal information on competition: Consumer privacy and partial price discrimination," ZEW Discussion Papers 21-007, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    19. Hong Feng & Jie Ma, 2018. "Location choices and third‐degree spatial price discrimination," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 65(2), pages 142-153, May.
    20. Suzuka Okuyama, 2022. "Behavior-based Price Discrimination in the Domestic and International Mixed duopoly," ISER Discussion Paper 1179, Institute of Social and Economic Research, Osaka University.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Multi-dimensional price discrimination; Best-response asymmetry; Information acquisition;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D43 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Oligopoly and Other Forms of Market Imperfection
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • L40 - Industrial Organization - - Antitrust Issues and Policies - - - General

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