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Strategic Inattention in Product Search

Author

Listed:
  • Hippel, Svenja
  • Hillenbrand, Adrian

Abstract

Online platforms provide search tools that help consumers to get better-fitting product offers. But this technology makes consumer search behavior also easily traceable and allows for real-time price discrimination. Consumers face a trade-off: Search intensely and receive a better fit at a potentially higher price or restrict search behavior – be strategically inattentive – and receive a worse fit, but maybe a better deal. We study the resulting strategic buyer-seller interaction theoretically as well as experimentally. Our experimental results show that it is the sellers and not the buyers who profit from these search tools.

Suggested Citation

  • Hippel, Svenja & Hillenbrand, Adrian, 2018. "Strategic Inattention in Product Search," VfS Annual Conference 2018 (Freiburg, Breisgau): Digital Economy 181510, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:vfsc18:181510
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • D11 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Theory
    • D42 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Monopoly
    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • 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

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