Search frictions are classified as a main impediment to active competition in many markets. In some markets, such as in financial and retail gasoline markets, governments and consumer protection agencies call for a compulsory price reporting. Consumers should then more easily compare the firms'...

This paper evaluates the impact of reference pricing on prices and co-payments in the (German) market for off-patent pharmaceuticals. We present a theoretical model with price-sensitive and loyal consumers that shows that a decrease in the reference price affects the consumers' co-payments in a...

The European Commission and its member states are wrestling with the problem of how to implement the scheduled liberalization of the postal sector while maintaining the service obligation. This book addresses some of these concerns. It is comprised of essays chosen from those presented at the...