Search for Differentiated Products

Search for Differentiated Products PDF Author: Sergei Koulayev
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 23

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Book Description
When consumers search for differentiated products, a given search decision can be explained either by low search cost or by low tastes for the set of products already found. We propose an identification strategy that allows to estimate the search cost distribution in the presence of unobserved tastes. The required data takes the form of conditional search decisions: observations of search actions combined with previously observed product displays. We develop an application using clickstream data from a hotel search platform. Estimates of price elasticity of demand in the search model differ from those in the static model, reflecting the bias due to endogeneity of search-generated choice sets.

Search for Differentiated Products

Search for Differentiated Products PDF Author: Sergei Koulayev
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 23

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Book Description
When consumers search for differentiated products, a given search decision can be explained either by low search cost or by low tastes for the set of products already found. We propose an identification strategy that allows to estimate the search cost distribution in the presence of unobserved tastes. The required data takes the form of conditional search decisions: observations of search actions combined with previously observed product displays. We develop an application using clickstream data from a hotel search platform. Estimates of price elasticity of demand in the search model differ from those in the static model, reflecting the bias due to endogeneity of search-generated choice sets.

Discrete Choice Theory of Product Differentiation

Discrete Choice Theory of Product Differentiation PDF Author: Simon P. Anderson
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 9780262011280
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 454

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Book Description
"The discrete choice approach provides an ideal framework for describing the demands for differentiated products and can be used for studying most product differentiation models in the literature. By introducing extra dimensions of product heterogeneity, the framework also provides richer models of firm location and product selection."--BOOK JACKET.

The Economic Theory of Product Differentiation

The Economic Theory of Product Differentiation PDF Author: John Beath
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521335522
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 220

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Book Description
There are few industries in modern market economies that do not manufacture differentiated products. This book provides a systematic explanation and analysis of the widespread prevalence of this important category of products. The authors concentrate on models in which product selection is endogenous. In the first four chapters they consider models that try to predict the level of product differentiation that would emerge in situations of market equilibrium. These market equilibria with differentiated products are characterised and then compared with social welfare optima. Particular attention is paid to the distinction between horizontal and vertical differentiation as well as to the related issues of product quality and durability. This book brings together the most important theoretical contributions to these topics in a succinct and coherent manner. One of its major strengths is the way in which it carefully sets out the basic intuition behind the formal results. It will be useful to advanced undergraduate and graduate students taking courses in industrial economics and microeconomic theory.

Simultaneous Search for Differentiated Products

Simultaneous Search for Differentiated Products PDF Author: José L. Moraga González
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Consumer behavior
Languages : en
Pages : 51

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Book Description
This paper extends the literature on simultaneous search by allowing for differentiated products and consumer search cost heterogeneity. In a duopolistic market, consumers with sufficiently low search costs choose to inspect the products of the two firms and purchase, if any, the most suitable; consumers with higher search costs choose to examine just one of the products; consumers with prohibitively high search costs do not check any of the products and drop out of the market altogether. For arbitrary search cost distributions, when match values are assumed to be uniformly distributed, a symmetric price equilibrium always exists. We provide a necessary and sufficient condition on the search cost distribution under which an increase in the costs of search of all consumers may result in a lower, equal or higher equilibrium price. The effects of prominence on equilibrium prices are also studied. The prominent firm charges a higher price than the non-prominent firm and both their prices are below the symmetric equilibrium price. Consequently, with simultaneous search, market prominence increases the surplus of consumers. In an extension, we provide conditions under which the equilibrium of the N-firm model exists.

A Framework for the Estimation of Demand for Differentiated Products with Simultaneous Consumer Search

A Framework for the Estimation of Demand for Differentiated Products with Simultaneous Consumer Search PDF Author: José Luis Moraga-González
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
We propose a tractable method for estimation of a simultaneous search model for differentiated products that allows for observed and unobserved heterogeneity in both preferences and search costs. We show that for type I extreme value distributed search costs, expressions for search and purchase probabilities can be obtained in closed form. We show that our search model belongs to the generalized extreme value (GEV) class, which implies that it has a full information discrete-choice equivalent, and hence search data are necessary to distinguish between the search model and the equivalent full information model. We allow for price endogeneity when estimating the model and show how to obtain parameter estimates using a combination of aggregate market share data and individual level data on search and purchases. To deal with the dimensionality problem that typically arises in search models due to a large number of consideration sets we propose a novel Monte Carlo estimator for the search and purchase probabilities. Monte Carlo experiments highlight the importance of allowing for sufficient consumer heterogeneity when doing policy counterfactuals and show that our Monte Carlo estimator is accurate and computationally fast. Finally, a behavioral assumption on how consumers search provides a micro-foundation for consideration probabilities widely used in the literature.

Do Consumers Search for the Highest Price?

Do Consumers Search for the Highest Price? PDF Author: Norbert Schulz
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Consumer behavior
Languages : en
Pages : 35

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Book Description


Prices, Product Differentiation, and Heterogeneous Search Costs

Prices, Product Differentiation, and Heterogeneous Search Costs PDF Author: José Luis Moraga-González
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 31

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Book Description


Consumer Search and the Spatial Organization of Markets for Differentiated Products

Consumer Search and the Spatial Organization of Markets for Differentiated Products PDF Author: Norbert Schulz
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 72

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Book Description


Product Differentiation and Equilibrium Price with Partial Product Search

Product Differentiation and Equilibrium Price with Partial Product Search PDF Author: Lin Liu
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description


Identification in differentiated products markets using market level data

Identification in differentiated products markets using market level data PDF Author: Steven T. Berry
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
We consider nonparametric identification in models of differentiated products markets, using only market level observables. On the demand side we consider a non-parametric random utility model nesting random coefficients discrete choice models widely used in applied work. We allow for product/market-specific unobservables, endogenous product characteristics e.g., prices), and high-dimensional taste shocks with arbitrary correlation and heteroskedasticity. On the supply side we specify marginal costs nonparametrically, allow for unobserved firm heterogeneity, and nest a variety of equilibrium oligopoly models. We pursue two approaches to identification. One relies on instrumental variables conditions used previously to demonstrate identification in a nonparametric regression framework. With this approach we can show identification of the demand side without reference to a particular supply model. Adding the supply side allows identification of firms' marginal costs as well. Our second approach, more closely linked to classical identification arguments for supply and demand models, employs a change of variables approach. This leads to constructive identification results relying on exclusion and support conditions. Our results lead to a testable restriction that provides the first general formalization of Bresnahan's (1982) intuition for empirically discriminating between alternative models of oligopoly competition.