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A Theory of Stable Price Dispersion

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Abstract
We propose a two-stage replacement for established “clearinghouse" or “captive and shopper" pricing models: second-stage retail prices are constrained by first-stage list prices. In contrast to the mixed-strategy equilibria of single-stage games, a unique profile of distinct prices is supported by the play of pure strategies along the equilibrium path, and so we predict stable price dispersion. We find novel results in applications to models of sales, product prominence, advertising, and consumer search.

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  • David P. Myatt, 2019. "A Theory of Stable Price Dispersion," Economics Series Working Papers 873, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:oxf:wpaper:873
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    Cited by:

    1. Collins, Sean M. & James, Duncan & Servátka, Maroš & Vadovič, Radovan, 2021. "Attainment of equilibrium via Marshallian path adjustment: Queueing and buyer determinism," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 94-106.
    2. Timo Klein & Bertram Neurohr, 2023. "Should Private Exchanges of List Price Information Be Presumed to Be Anticompetitive?," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 33-57, June.
    3. David P. Myatt & David Ronayne, 2023. "Asymmetric Models of Sales," Rationality and Competition Discussion Paper Series 450, CRC TRR 190 Rationality and Competition.
    4. Iwan Bos & Marco A. Marini, 2022. "Oligopoly Pricing: The Role of Firm Size and Number," Games, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-16, December.
    5. Mark Armstrong & John Vickers, 2022. "Patterns of Competitive Interaction," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 90(1), pages 153-191, January.
    6. Edwards, Robert A. & Routledge, Robert R., 2022. "Information, Bertrand–Edgeworth competition and the law of one price," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    7. Neven, Damien & Piccolo, Salvatore & Andreu, Enrique, 2021. "Price Authority and Information Sharing with Competing Principals," CEPR Discussion Papers 16753, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    8. Haan, Marco A. & Heijnen, Pim & Obradovits, Martin, 2023. "Competition with list prices," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 140(C), pages 502-528.
    9. Dirk Bergemann & Benjamin Brooks & Stephen Morris, 2021. "Search, Information, and Prices," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 129(8), pages 2275-2319.
    10. Andreu, Enrique & Neven, Damien & Piccolo, Salvatore, 2023. "Price authority and information sharing with competing supply chains," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    11. Johannes Johnen, 2020. "Dynamic competition in deceptive markets," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 51(2), pages 375-401, June.
    12. Collins, Sean M. & James, Duncan & Servátka, Maroš & Vadovič, Radovan, 2020. "Attainment of Equilibrium: Marshallian Path Adjustment and Buyer Determinism," MPRA Paper 104103, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Bos, Iwan & Marini, Marco A. & Saulle, Riccardo D., 2024. "Myopic oligopoly pricing," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 377-412.
    14. Enrique Andreu & Damien Neven & Salvatore Piccolo, 2020. "Delegated Sales, Agency Costs and the Competitive Effects of List Price," CSEF Working Papers 573, Centre for Studies in Economics and Finance (CSEF), University of Naples, Italy.
    15. David Ronayne, 2020. "The Only Dance in Town: Unique Equilibrium in a Generalized Model of Price Competition," Economics Series Working Papers 874, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    16. Johannes Johnen & David Ronayne, 2021. "The only Dance in Town: Unique Equilibrium in a Generalized Model of Price Competition," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 69(3), pages 595-614, September.
    17. Harrington, Joseph E., 2022. "The Anticompetitiveness of a Private Information Exchange of Prices," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).

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    Keywords

    price dispersion; clearinghouse models; prominence; advertising; buyer search;
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