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A difficulty with the address models of product differentiation

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  • Martin Peitz

    () (Departamento Fundamentos del AnaÂlisis EconoÕmico, University of Alicante, E-03071 Alicante, SPAIN)

Abstract

In models of product differentiation and location models it is implicitly assumed that consumers can afford to buy the differentiated goods in the market. I show that with income heterogeneity there are severe existence problems of a price equilibrium in models of horizontal product differentiation with unit demand because some consumers are income-constrained. The result generalizes to other models of product differentiation, search, and switching costs. I present an alternative specification of variable individual demand in which this kind of existence problem cannot arise.

Suggested Citation

  • Martin Peitz, 1999. "A difficulty with the address models of product differentiation," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 14(3), pages 717-727.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:joecth:v:14:y:1999:i:3:p:717-727
    Note: Received: October 17, 1997; revised version: February 20, 1998
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Steven C. Salop, 1979. "Monopolistic Competition with Outside Goods," Bell Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 10(1), pages 141-156, Spring.
    2. Mussa, Michael & Rosen, Sherwin, 1978. "Monopoly and product quality," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 18(2), pages 301-317, August.
    3. d'Aspremont, C & Gabszewicz, Jean Jaskold & Thisse, J-F, 1979. "On Hotelling's "Stability in Competition"," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 47(5), pages 1145-1150, September.
    4. Martin Peitz, 1998. "- Two-Stage Models Of Product Differentiation With Unit-Elastic Demand," Working Papers. Serie AD 1998-18, Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Económicas, S.A. (Ivie).
    5. Peitz, Martin, 1997. "Differentiated Bertrand duopoly with variable demand," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(2), pages 85-100, June.
    6. Bockem, Sabine, 1994. "A Generalized Model of Horizontal Product Differentiation," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(3), pages 287-298, September.
    7. Caplin, Andrew & Nalebuff, Barry, 1991. "Aggregation and Imperfect Competition: On the Existence of Equilibrium," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 59(1), pages 25-59, January.
    8. Jaskold Gabszewicz, J. & Thisse, J. -F., 1979. "Price competition, quality and income disparities," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 20(3), pages 340-359, June.
    9. Beath,John & Katsoulacos,Yannis, 1991. "The Economic Theory of Product Differentiation," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521335263, May.
    10. Cremer, Helmuth & Thisse, Jacques-Francois, 1991. "Location Models of Horizontal Differentiation: A Special Case of Vertical Differentiation Models," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(4), pages 383-390, June.
    11. Economides, Nicholas, 1989. "Symmetric equilibrium existence and optimality in differentiated product markets," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 47(1), pages 178-194, February.
    12. Economides, Nicholas, 1984. "The principle of minimum differentiation revisited," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 24(3), pages 345-368, April.
    13. Peitz, Martin, 1995. "Utility maximization in models of discrete choice," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 49(1), pages 91-94, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Pia Weiß, 2001. "Product and Process Innovations in a Horizontally Differentiated Product Market," IWP Discussion Paper Series 07/2001, Institute for Economic Policy, Cologne, Germany.
    2. Peitz, Martin, 2000. "Aggregation in a Model of Price Competition," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 90(1), pages 1-38, January.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Product differentiation; Unit demand; Heterogeneous income; Discrete choice.;

    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

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