IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/indorg/v97y2024ics0167718724000535.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

First-party selling and self-preferencing

Author

Listed:
  • Dendorfer, Florian

Abstract

In this paper, I analyze the welfare effect of a vertically integrated gatekeeper platform selling its own first-party product, i.e., first-party selling, as well as the platform's incentive to favor the first-party product in the product recommendations it makes, i.e., self-preferencing. I find that, irrespective of self-preferencing, both consumer welfare and platform revenue are higher under first-party selling because first-party selling mitigates double marginalization. Additionally, third-party product prices are lower in expected terms under first-party selling, either because the platform reduces the commission fee (with self-preferencing) or downstream competition is fiercer (without self-preferencing). Finally, I show that both consumers and the platform are better off if the platform commits not to engage in self-preferencing.

Suggested Citation

  • Dendorfer, Florian, 2024. "First-party selling and self-preferencing," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:indorg:v:97:y:2024:i:c:s0167718724000535
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ijindorg.2024.103098
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167718724000535
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.ijindorg.2024.103098?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Alexandre de Cornière & Greg Taylor, 2019. "A model of biased intermediation," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 50(4), pages 854-882, December.
    2. Kittaka, Yuta & Sato, Susumu & Zennyo, Yusuke, 2023. "Self-preferencing by platforms: A literature review," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    3. Yongmin Chen & Chuan He, 2011. "Paid Placement: Advertising and Search on the Internet," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 121(556), pages 309-328, November.
    4. Rey, Patrick & Tirole, Jean, 1986. "The Logic of Vertical Restraints," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 76(5), pages 921-939, December.
    5. Patrice Bougette & Oliver Budzinski & Frédéric Marty, 2022. "Self-Preferencing and Competitive Damages: A Focus on Exploitative Abuses," Post-Print halshs-03620661, HAL.
    6. Chiara Farronato & Andrey Fradkin & Alexander MacKay, 2023. "Self-Preferencing at Amazon: Evidence from Search Rankings," AEA Papers and Proceedings, American Economic Association, vol. 113, pages 239-243, May.
    7. Anil Arya & Brian Mittendorf & David E. M. Sappington, 2007. "The Bright Side of Supplier Encroachment," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 26(5), pages 651-659, 09-10.
    8. Yusuke Zennyo, 2022. "Platform Encroachment and Own‐Content Bias," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 70(3), pages 684-710, September.
    9. Federico Etro, 2023. "Hybrid Marketplaces with Free Entry of Sellers," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 62(2), pages 119-148, March.
    10. Ordover, Janusz A & Saloner, Garth & Salop, Steven C, 1990. "Equilibrium Vertical Foreclosure," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 80(1), pages 127-142, March.
    11. Federico Etro, 2021. "Product selection in online marketplaces," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(3), pages 614-637, August.
    12. Michael A. Salinger, 1988. "Vertical Mergers and Market Foreclosure," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 103(2), pages 345-356.
    13. Joel Waldfogel, 2024. "Amazon Self-preferencing in the Shadow of the Digital Markets Act," NBER Working Papers 32299, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    14. Andrei Hagiu & Tat‐How Teh & Julian Wright, 2022. "Should platforms be allowed to sell on their own marketplaces?," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 53(2), pages 297-327, June.
    15. Shopova, Radostina, 2023. "Private labels in marketplaces," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    16. Joseph J. Spengler, 1950. "Vertical Integration and Antitrust Policy," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 58(4), pages 347-347.
    17. Ran Spiegler, 2006. "The Market for Quacks," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 73(4), pages 1113-1131.
    18. Jorge Padilla & Joe Perkins & Salvatore Piccolo, 2022. "Self‐Preferencing in Markets with Vertically Integrated Gatekeeper Platforms," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 70(2), pages 371-395, June.
    19. Andrei Hagiu & Julian Wright, 2015. "Marketplace or Reseller?," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 61(1), pages 184-203, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Federico Etro, 2024. "e‐Commerce platforms and self‐preferencing," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(4), pages 1516-1543, September.
    2. Etro, Federico, 2023. "Platform competition with free entry of sellers," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    3. Leda Maria Bonazzi & Riccardo Martina & Giovanni Ursino, 2025. "Hybrid platforms with free entry: demand-enhancing activities," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 52(1), pages 81-106, March.
    4. Javier D. Donna & Pedro Pereira, 2024. "Structural Presumptions for Non-horizontal Mergers in the 2023 Merger Guidelines: A Primer and a Path Forward," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 65(1), pages 303-345, August.
    5. Kittaka, Yuta & Sato, Susumu & Zennyo, Yusuke, 2023. "Self-preferencing by platforms: A literature review," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    6. Axel Gautier & Leonardo Madio & Shiva Shekhar, 2025. "Network Externalities and Platform Strategy: Agency, Bundles Entry, and Integration," CESifo Working Paper Series 11711, CESifo.
    7. Jürgen Rösch, 2024. "Market entry as a marketplace owner: when and why should you sell on your marketplace?," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 94(3), pages 525-541, April.
    8. Bisceglia, Michele & Padilla, Jorge & Piccolo, Salvatore & Shekhar, Shiva, 2022. "Vertical integration, innovation and foreclosure with competing ecosystems," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    9. Committee, Nobel Prize, 2014. "Market power and regulation (scientific background)," Nobel Prize in Economics documents 2014-2, Nobel Prize Committee.
    10. Zanaj Skerdilajda, 2010. "Successive Oligopolies and Decreasing Returns," The B.E. Journal of Theoretical Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 10(1), pages 1-26, November.
    11. Karp, Larry & Stefanou, Spiro, 1991. "Polish Agriculture in Transition: Does it Hurt to be Slapped by an Invisible Hand?," CUDARE Working Papers 198594, University of California, Berkeley, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics.
    12. Maija Halonen, 1994. "Endogenous Industry Structure in Vertical Duopoly," STICERD - Economics of Industry Papers 07, Suntory and Toyota International Centres for Economics and Related Disciplines, LSE.
    13. Jean Gabszewicz & Didier Laussel & Tanguy Ypersele & Skerdilajda Zanaj, 2013. "Market Games in Successive Oligopolies," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 15(3), pages 397-410, June.
    14. Michiel Bijlsma & Viktoria Kocsis & Victoria Shestalova & Gijsbert Zwart, 2008. "Vertical foreclosure: a policy framework," CPB Document 157, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    15. Martin Peitz, 2024. "The Economic Theory of Two-Sided Platforms," CRC TR 224 Discussion Paper Series crctr224_2024_584, University of Bonn and University of Mannheim, Germany.
    16. Rosengren, Eric S & Meehan, James W, Jr, 1994. "Empirical Evidence on Vertical Foreclosure," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 32(2), pages 303-317, April.
    17. Tan, Yinliang (Ricky) & Yu, Chuanbin & Liu, Yang & Zheng, Quan, 2024. "Agency models in online platforms: A review of recent developments and future prospects," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 319(3), pages 679-695.
    18. Shopova, Radostina, 2023. "Private labels in marketplaces," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    19. Lam, Wing Man Wynne & Liu, Xingyi, 2023. "Dancing with rivals: How does platform’s information usage benefit independent sellers?," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 309(1), pages 421-431.
    20. Yassine Lefouili & Leonardo Madio, 2022. "The economics of platform liability," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 53(3), pages 319-351, June.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Double marginalization; Platform; Regulation; Self-preferencing; Steering; Vertical foreclosure; Vertical integration;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D40 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - General
    • L12 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Monopoly; Monopolization Strategies
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • L40 - Industrial Organization - - Antitrust Issues and Policies - - - General
    • L50 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - General

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:indorg:v:97:y:2024:i:c:s0167718724000535. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/505551 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.