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Market Liberalization: Price Dispersion, Price Discrimination and Consumer Search in the German Electricity Markets

Author

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  • Janssen, Maarten
  • Gugler, Klaus
  • Heim, Sven
  • Liebensteiner , Mario

Abstract

We study how consumer search affects pricing in markets with incumbents and entrants using panel data on German electricity retail markets. Consumers observe the baseline price of the incumbent and decide whether or not to search. Incumbent providers can price discriminate between searching and loyal consumers. Empirically we show that local incumbents increase their baseline rate while entrants decrease their tariffs if consumer search increases. Moreover, the incumbent price discriminates more strongly in markets with more consumer search. Using a theoretical model, we show that these pricing patterns are consistent with the strategic interaction of profit-maximizing firms.

Suggested Citation

  • Janssen, Maarten & Gugler, Klaus & Heim, Sven & Liebensteiner , Mario, 2018. "Market Liberalization: Price Dispersion, Price Discrimination and Consumer Search in the German Electricity Markets," CEPR Discussion Papers 13197, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:13197
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    Cited by:

    1. Atabek Atayev, 2021. "Nonlinear Prices, Homogeneous Goods, Search," Papers 2109.15198, arXiv.org.
    2. Fernando Luco & Guillermo Marshall, 2021. "Diagnosing Anticompetitive Effects of Vertical Integration by Multiproduct Firms," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 59(2), pages 381-392, September.
    3. Jens‐Peter Loy & Dieter Pennerstorfer & Daniela Rroshi & Christoph Weiss & Biliana Yontcheva, 2022. "Consumer Information and Price Transmission: Empirical Evidence," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 70(3), pages 631-683, September.
    4. Sven Heim, 2021. "Asymmetric cost pass-through and consumer search: empirical evidence from online platforms," Quantitative Marketing and Economics (QME), Springer, vol. 19(2), pages 227-260, June.
    5. Esplin, Ryan & Davis, Ben & Rai, Alan & Nelson, Tim, 2020. "The impacts of price regulation on price dispersion in Australia's retail electricity markets," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    6. Atayev, Atabek, 2021. "Nonlinear prices, homogeneous goods, search," ZEW Discussion Papers 21-092, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    7. Fange, Kari-Anne, 2022. "Electricity retailing and price dispersion," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Search; Price dispersion; Price discrimination; Electricity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D43 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Oligopoly and Other Forms of Market Imperfection
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • Q40 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - General

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