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Online Price Dispersion Within and Between Seven European Countries

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Listed author(s):
  • Gatti, J.R.J.
  • Kattuman, P.
Registered author(s):

    Abstract

    This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of online price dispersion in Europe, across a broad range of product categories and countries. Using the dominant European price comparison site we collected firm specific prices, weekly, from sevcn European countries (Denmark, France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom) for 31 unique products, falling into five distinct product categories (printers, PDAs, scanners, games consoles, computer games and music), over the nine month period October 2001 to June 2002. The resulting data set comprises over 17,000 individual price observations. Using a number of alternative measures of price dispersion we find significant differences in the degree of price dispersion observed in online markets, both between countries and across product categories. We consider alternative explanations for online price dispersion and analyse their significance in explaining the observed differences.

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    File URL: http://www.econ.cam.ac.uk/research-files/repec/cam/pdf/cwpe0343.pdf
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    Paper provided by Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge in its series Cambridge Working Papers in Economics with number 0343.

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    Length: 53
    Date of creation: Sep 2003
    Handle: RePEc:cam:camdae:0343
    Note: IO
    Contact details of provider: Web page: http://www.econ.cam.ac.uk/

    Keywords: price dispersion; internet;

    Find related papers by JEL classification:

    • D4 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • M3 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Marketing and Advertising

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    12. Michael R. Baye & John Morgan, 2001. "Information Gatekeepers on the Internet and the Competitiveness of Homogeneous Product Markets," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 91(3), pages 454-474, June.
    13. Glenn Ellison & Sara Fisher Ellison, 2009. "Search, Obfuscation, and Price Elasticities on the Internet," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 77(2), pages 427-452, 03.
    14. Arup Daripa & Sandeep Kapur, 2001. "Pricing on the Internet," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 17(2), pages 202-216, Summer.
    15. Alan T. Sorensen, 2000. "Equilibrium Price Dispersion in Retail Markets for Prescription Drugs," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 108(4), pages 833-862, August.
    16. Burdett, Kenneth & Judd, Kenneth L, 1983. "Equilibrium Price Dispersion," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 51(4), pages 955-969, July.
    17. Kattuman, Paul & Michael R Baye & Rupert Gatti & John Morgan, 2003. "Outline Pricing and the Euro Changeover: Cross-Country Comparisons," Royal Economic Society Annual Conference 2003 117, Royal Economic Society.
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    19. George J. Stigler, 1961. "The Economics of Information," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 69, pages 213-213.
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    Cited by:

    1. Tatiana Damjanovic & Charles Nolan, 2010. "Relative Price Distortions and Inflation Persistence," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 120(547), pages 1080-1099, 09.
    2. Zhao, Dongmei & Savage, Scott J. & Chen, Yongmin, 2008. "Ownership, location and prices in chinese electronic commerce markets," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 20(2), pages 192-207, June.

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