Repeat Consumer Search
Consumers are usually interested in buying a product repeatedly over time, but need to search for information on firms’ prices and product features. We characterize the optimal search rule in this environment, showing that under certain conditions consumers `stagger’ their search across periods i.e. they buy several different products early on before settling on one which they then buy repeatedly. We also solve for equilibrium prices, examine how they change as the market matures, and compare them to the usual one-shot search problem. Finally we investigate how the market evolves when firms may offer discounts to past consumers.
Date: 5 March 2019, 12:45 (Tuesday, 8th week, Hilary 2019)
Venue: Nuffield College, New Road OX1 1NF
Venue Details: Butler Room
Speaker: Aleksei Parakhonyak (University of Oxford)
Organising department: Department of Economics
Part of: Economic Theory Workshop
Booking required?: Not required
Audience: Members of the University only
Editor: Melis Clark