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Price Competition when Product Quality is Uncertain

Author

Listed:
  • Isabel GRILO

    (UNIVERSITE CATHOLIQUE DE LOUVAIN, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE))

  • Xavier WAUTHY

    (CEREC, facultés universitaires Saint-Louis, Bruxelles)

Abstract

We consider a market where consumers differ in risk aversion. Two firms sell products of uncertain quality. We characterize the Nash equilibriura in prices and show that, due to consumers' heterogeneity, less reliable products are likely to coexist with more reliable ones in equilibrium. Moreover, choosing to increase the risk component is in some cases an equilibrium strategy.

Suggested Citation

  • Isabel GRILO & Xavier WAUTHY, 2000. "Price Competition when Product Quality is Uncertain," Discussion Papers (REL - Recherches Economiques de Louvain) 2000043, Université catholique de Louvain, Institut de Recherches Economiques et Sociales (IRES).
    • Handle: RePEc:ctl:louvre:2000043
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Simon P. Anderson & Régis Renault, 2011. "Price Discrimination," Chapters, in: André de Palma & Robin Lindsey & Emile Quinet & Roger Vickerman (ed.), A Handbook of Transport Economics, chapter 22, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    2. Kala Krishna & Tor Winston, 1998. "A New Model of Quality," NBER Working Papers 6580, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Bouckaert, Jan & Degryse, Hans, 2000. "Price competition between an expert and a non-expert," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 18(6), pages 901-923, August.
    4. 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.
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    Cited by:

    1. David Bardey, 2004. "A paradoxical risk aversion effect on the consumers' demand for quality," Recherches économiques de Louvain, De Boeck Université, vol. 70(1), pages 109-115.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets

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