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Bertrand and the long run

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Abstract
We propose a new model of simultaneous price competition, based on firms offer personalized prices to consumers. In a market for a homogeneous good and decreasing returns, the unique equilibrium leads to a uniform price equal to the marginal cost of each firm, at their share of the market clearing quantity. Using this result for the short-run competition, we then investigate the long-run investment decisions of the firms. While there is underinvestment, the overall outcome is more competitive than the Cournot model competition. Moreover, as the number of firms grows we approach the competitive long-run outcome.

Suggested Citation

  • Roberto Burguet & Jozsef Sakovics, 2014. "Bertrand and the long run," Edinburgh School of Economics Discussion Paper Series 244, Edinburgh School of Economics, University of Edinburgh.
    • Handle: RePEc:edn:esedps:244
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    Cited by:

    1. de Meza, David & Reito, Francesco, 2020. "Too much waste, not enough rationing: The failure of stochastic, competitive markets," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    2. Cabon-Dhersin Marie-Laure & Drouhin Nicolas, 2017. "A general model of price competition with soft capacity constraints," Working Papers 2017-56, Center for Research in Economics and Statistics.
    3. Burguet, Roberto & Sákovics, József, 2019. "Personalized prices and uncertainty in monopsony," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    4. Martimort, David & Pouyet, Jérôme, 2020. "Downstream mergers in vertically related markets with capacity constraints," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    5. Roberto Burguet & József Sákovics, 2017. "Competitive foreclosure," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 48(4), pages 906-926, December.
    6. Marie-Laure Cabon-Dhersin & Nicolas Drouhin, 2020. "A general model of price competition with soft capacity constraints," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 70(1), pages 95-120, July.
    7. Bru, Lluís & Cardona, Daniel & Sákovics, József, 2023. "Block sourcing plus," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 305(3), pages 1130-1140.
    8. Jozsef Sakovics & Lluis Bru & Daniel Cardona, 2018. "Block sourcing," Edinburgh School of Economics Discussion Paper Series 287, Edinburgh School of Economics, University of Edinburgh.
    9. Peck, James, 2018. "Competing mechanisms with multi-unit consumer demand," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 177(C), pages 126-161.
    10. Lluis Bru & Daniel Cardona & Jozef Sakovics, 2019. "Beating Coase at Monopoly," Edinburgh School of Economics Discussion Paper Series 291, Edinburgh School of Economics, University of Edinburgh.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    price competition; personalized prices; marginal cost pricing;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D43 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Oligopoly and Other Forms of Market Imperfection
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets

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