Summary We consider a model of a price setting monopolistic firm that has to decide on a price adjustment in light of some new information about the uncertain demand for its product. It is assumed that the firm applies the so-called minimax adjustment principle for this purpose. This optimality...

Abstract This paper provides an explanation for noisy pricing based on the strategic interaction of two firms competing in prices. When a firm adds noise to its prices, undercutting it becomes harder. Therefore, noisy pricing allows a firm to either exclude a competitor while charging...

We study a model with product differentiation by manufacturers and spatial differentiation by supermarkets where the customers visit only one shop and the supermarkets carry both goods. Under fixed fee pricing by the manufacturers the intensity of interbrand competition increases with the degree...

Product differentiation is well established as being the key source of the cereal industry’s high price-cost margins. However, there is little consensus as to whether pricing collusion is also a source of profitability, and indeed, whether price even serves as a strategic variable in this...

Summary This paper is about conscious parallelism in a duopoly with differentiated products. Conscious parallelism is modelled by a “policy of fixed relative prices” (frp) i. e. starting from a competitive equilibrium both duopolists vary prices by the same percentage. This price increasing...

This lecture, PowerPoint slides, and movie provide a relatively non-technical introduction to cartels. After describing the characteristics of cartels predicted by economic theory, the instructor shows a movie of the "secret" meetings of the lysine cartel. This movie demonstrates that an actual...