Monopolistic Product Line Competition with Ex Post Consumer Heterogeneity

Abstract

We model monopolistic competition in product lines, assuming that consumer heterogeneity is the result rather than the cause of product variety. Our results contradict some well-known policy implications yielded by the standard monopolistic competition framework.

Share and Cite:

Georgantzís, N. and García-Gallego, A. (2014) Monopolistic Product Line Competition with Ex Post Consumer Heterogeneity. Theoretical Economics Letters, 4, 155-165. doi: 10.4236/tel.2014.42023.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1] Johnson, J.P. and Myatt, D.P. (2003) Multiproduct Quality Competition: Fighting Brands and Product Line Pruning. American Economic Review, 93, 748-774.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1257/000282803322157070
[2] Klemperer, P. and Padilla, A.J. (1997) Do Firms’ Product Lines Include too many Varieties. RAND Journal of Economics, 28, 472-488. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2556025
[3] Kuhn, K.U. and Padilla, A.J. (1996) Product Line Decisions and the Coase Conjecture. RAND Journal of Economics, 27, 391-414. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2555933
[4] De Fraja, G. (1996) Product Line Competition in Vertically Differentiated Markets. International Journal of Industrial Organization, 24, 389-414. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0167-7187(95)00483-1
[5] Judd, K.L. (1985) Credible Spatial Preemption. RAND Journal of Economics, 16, 153-166.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2555407
[6] William, P.P. and Bayus, B.L. (2001) An Empirical Analysis of Firms’ Product Line Decisions. Journal of Marketing Research, 38, 103-118.
[7] Anderson, S.P., de Palma, A. and Thisse, J.F. (1992) Discrete Choice Theory of Product Differentiation. MIT Press, Cambridge.
[8] Fujita, M. and Thisse, J.F. (1986) Spatial Competition with a Land Market: Hotelling and von Thunen Unified. Review of Economic Studies, 58, 819-841. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2297721
[9] Lancaster, K.J. (1966) A New Approach to Consumer Theory. Journal of Political Economy, 74,132-157.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/259131
[10] Chamberlin, E.H. (1951) Monopolistic Competition Revisited. Economica, 18, 343-362.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2549607
[11] Dixit, A. and Stiglitz, J. (1977) Monopolistic Competition and Optimum Product Diversity. American Economic Review, 67, 297-308.
[12] Salop, S.C. (1979) Monopolistic Competition with Outside Goods. Bell Journal of Economics, 10,141-156.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3003323
[13] MacLeod, W.B., Norman, G. and Thisse, J.F. (1988) Price Discrimination and Equilibrium in Monopolistic Competition. Journal of Economic Theory, 4, 429-446.
[14] Tirole, J. (1985) The Theory of Industrial Organization. MIT Press, Cambridge.
[15] Champsaur, P. and Rochet, J.C. (1998) Multiproduct Duopolists. Econometrica, 57, 533-357.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1911051
[16] Mussa, M. and Rosen, S. (1978) Monopoly and Product Quality. Journal of Economic Theory, 18, 301-317.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0022-0531(78)90085-6
[17] García-Gallego, A., Georgantzís, N. and Orts, V. (2001) Endogenous Retailer Preferences in Intermediate Good Markets. International Review of Retail Distribution and Consumer Research, 11, 123-139.

Copyright © 2023 by authors and Scientific Research Publishing Inc.

Creative Commons License

This work and the related PDF file are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.