Using survey data on movie consumption by about 500 University of Pennsylvania undergraduate students, we ask whether unpaid consumption of movies displaces paid consumption. A variety of cross-sectional and longitudinal empirical approaches show large and statistically significant evidence of...

Investments in brand, and third-party information, provide alternative methods for convincing potential customers that vendors will deliver as promised. This study uses a 13-month panel dataset on 1998-99 Internet shopping behavior and use of information intermediaries by over 30,000 households...

Do larger markets offer better products? The question has implications for theories of cities and theories of market organization. We document that in the restaurant industry, where quality is produced largely with variable costs, the range of qualities on offer increases in market size. In...