We address the effect of expectation-based consumer loss aversion on firm strategy in imperfect competition. Consumers are fully informed about match value and price at the moment of purchase. However, some consumers are initially uninformed about their tastes and form a reference point consisting of an expected match value and price distribution, whereas others are perfectly informed all the time. We show that if firms have symmetric costs, a larger share of informed consumers leads to a more competitive outcome. The reverse holds if cost asymmetry in duopoly is sufficiently large.
(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)"> We address the effect of expectation-based consumer loss aversion on firm strategy in imperfect competition. Consumers are fully informed about match value and price at the moment of purchase. However, some consumers are initially uninformed about their tastes and form a reference point consisting of an expected match value and price distribution, whereas others are perfectly informed all the time. We show that if firms have symmetric costs, a larger share of informed consumers leads to a more competitive outcome. The reverse holds if cost asymmetry in duopoly is sufficiently large.
(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)"> We address the effect of expectation-based consumer loss aversion on firm strategy in imperfect competition. Consumers are fully informed about match value and price at the mom">
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Competition under consumer loss aversion

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  • Karle, Heiko
  • Peitz, Martin
Abstract
type="main"> We address the effect of expectation-based consumer loss aversion on firm strategy in imperfect competition. Consumers are fully informed about match value and price at the moment of purchase. However, some consumers are initially uninformed about their tastes and form a reference point consisting of an expected match value and price distribution, whereas others are perfectly informed all the time. We show that if firms have symmetric costs, a larger share of informed consumers leads to a more competitive outcome. The reverse holds if cost asymmetry in duopoly is sufficiently large.
(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)

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  • Karle, Heiko & Peitz, Martin, 2014. "Competition under consumer loss aversion," Working Papers 12-08, University of Mannheim, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:mnh:wpaper:45987
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • L41 - Industrial Organization - - Antitrust Issues and Policies - - - Monopolization; Horizontal Anticompetitive Practices
    • M37 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Marketing and Advertising - - - Advertising

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