The value of switching costs

Gary Biglaiser, Jacques Crémer () and Gergely Dobos

No 10-142, TSE Working Papers from Toulouse School of Economics (TSE)

Abstract: We study a dynamic model with an incumbent monopolist and entry in every subsequent period. We first show that if all consumers have the same switching cost, then the intertemporal profits of the incumbent are the same as if there was only one period. We then study the consequences of heterogeneity of switching costs. We prove that even low switching cost customers have value for the incumbent: when there are more of them its profits increase as their presence hinders entrants who find it more costly to attract high switching cost customers.

Date: 2010-02, Revised 2012-10-30
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Journal Article: The value of switching costs (2013)
Working Paper: The value of switching costs (2012)
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