A symmetric complements refer to goods where one good is more dependent on the other, yet consumers receive enhanced utility from consuming both. Examples include garden hoses and sprinklers, chips and dip, and routine versus personalized services where the former has a broader base for utility...

This paper investigates the role of the outside good utility function on admissible substitution patterns in direct utility models of discrete/continuous demand. We first present a set of novel results that characterize the functional form of price effects within this class of models. The...

Economies of scope in direct utility models exist when consumers encounter costs and inconvenience in purchase and consumption. Travel time, product acquisition, training, expertise, and skills are examples of factors that impact the ability of consumers to derive utility from offerings beyond...

The decision to rent or own is prevalent in many consumer decisions, including what to wear, what to watch and what to read. A challenge to firms pricing these products is understanding whether renting, or having access through a subscription, is considered complementary to, or acts as a...

Consumer demand for products often result in the purchase of multiple goods at the same time. Corner solutions, or the non-purchase of items, occur when consumers have strong preference for some goods that do not satiate and weak preference for other goods. However, if non-purchase arises...

This chapter provides an introduction to choice models based on the principle of direct utility maximization. Models of direct utility are characterized by specifications of the utility function and accompanying budget constraint that allows separation of what is gained (i.e., utility) from that...