Sources of Limited Consideration and Market Power in E-Commerce

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Sullivan, Michael Rolland
• 署名单位: University of British Columbia
• 刊物名称: AMERICAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL-MICROECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1945-7669
• DOI: 10.1257/mic.20230200
• 发表日期: 2026
• 关键词: consumer search; price dispersion; switching costs; models; differentiation; identification; COMPETITION; internet; demand; web

摘要

This article develops techniques for the empirical analysis of repeated sequential search over unordered alternatives using data on consumer search processes. I use these techniques to assess why consumers conduct little search in e-commerce and often pay significantly above the minimum available price for a product. Search costs could explain these facts, as could pre-search seller differentiation: Consumers with low search costs may not visit stores they dislike based on information known before search. I find that seller differentiation is primarily responsible for limited consideration and market power. (JEL D11, D21, D43, D83, L81)