We investigate the effect of an EU-wide consumer protection regulation on consumer trust as well as consumer behavior. The Unfair Commercial Practice Directive (UCPD) was implemented by EU member states between 2007 and 2010. We utilize data from the Special and Flash Eurobarometer for the years...

We investigate the effect of an EU-wide consumer protection regulation on consumer trust as well as consumer behavior. The Unfair Commercial Practice Directive (UCPD) was implemented by EU member states between 2007 and 2010. We utilize data from the Special and Flash Eurobarometer for the years...

The psycho-sensorial value is a specific, complex and determinant concept of the food products that is reflected by means of psycho-sensorial properties such as: shape, size, aspect, colour, taste, smell, fragrance, bouquet, density, clarity. The assessment of these properties by the consumers...

Immer wieder werden auf der EU-Ebene und in den EU-Mitgliedstaaten neue Gesetze geschaffen, die unfaire Designmuster bei Nutzeroberflächen auf Websites vor allem durch Verbote beseitigen sollen. Diese legalistische Politik erfordert jedoch Ergänzungen, die von der Bundesregierung bislang nicht...

I investigate consumer privacy and the market for customer information in electronic retailing. The value of customer information derives from the ability of Internet firms to identify individual consumers and charge them personalized prices. I study two settings, a confidential regime in which...

In 2007, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued 276 recalls of toys and other children's products, a sizeable increase from previous years. The overwhelming majority of the 2007 toy recalls were due to high levels of lead content and almost all of these toys were manufactured in...

Does the local presence of premium branded stores with strong associations to a product group help promote the relevant category as a whole? Based on the Starbucks example, this paper documents such a demand spillover effect for coffee across channels and firms: The firm's stores stimulate...

This article uses the example of one of the best-known global payment systems provided by an online platform, PayPal, to analyze the role of private legal orders in creating new markets beyond jurisdictional borders. It shows that a relatively uniform legal order reduces risks involved in...

Disclosure has long been the preferred regulatory approach to prevent one-sided standard-form contract terms, but its efficacy is unclear. For disclosure to be effective, it must increase readership of contracts and, conditional on reading, affect decisions. I use clickstream data on software...

Unit pricing (i.e., displaying prices per unit of volume or weight) is deemed helpful for grocery shoppers. Many countries mandate that supermarkets provide unit prices. However, consumers only make limited use of unit pricing. Consumer advocates attribute this to the poor and inconsistent...