Price dispersion is ubiquitous in settings that closely approximate textbook Bertrand competition. We show (Propositions 2 and 3) that only a little bounded rationality among sellers is needed to rationalize such dispersion. A variety of statistical tests, based on data sets from two independent...

Many firms face a dynamic trade-off: if price is reduced, the firm attracts new customers who will yield profits in the future, but it also forgoes the opportunity to squeeze profits now from loyal customers. This paper identifies a rule that represents the optimal resolution of this trade-off,...

Lancasterian models of product differentiation typically assume a one-dimension characteristics space. We show that standard results on prices and locations no longer hold when firms compete in a multi- characteistics space.

The connection between entrepreneurship and economic organization is an under-researched topic in the economics of organization. This paper argues that key insights of the Austrian school of economics with respect to entrepreneurship and the nature and role of property rights and ownership may...

Nowadays of increasing functioning of network competitors, the Portuguese Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) of the Textile and Clothing Industry are facing new digital challenges. In order to strengthen their market power and reduce their dependence on foreign subcontractors, they should create...

We model a homogeneous product environment where identical e-retailers endogenously engage in both brand advertising (to create loyal customers) and price advertising (to attract 'shoppers'). Our analysis allows for 'cross-channel' effects; indeed, we show that price advertising is a substitute...

The case of strategic advertising response is examined for branded and generic meat products (beef, pork, and poultry). A dynamic conceptual model is developed to identify the determinants of advertising expenditures. A time-series model is then used to examine the competitive behavior of...

This paper studies the usefulness of advertising to both consumers and experts in specialized markets like the prescription drugs, travel and real-estate markets where the consumers' purchasing decisions are influenced by the experts (e.g., doctors, travel agents and real-estate agents)....

Price advertisement by retail stores is pervasive. If there exist non-negligible costs of consumer search, a retailer can increase the number of consumers visiting its location by advertising a low price, thus increasing consumers' expected utilities from search. If the increase in the number of...