We examine the competition between a group of Internet retailers who operate in an environment where a price search engine plays a dominant role. We show that for some products in this environment, the easy price search makes demand tremendously price‐sensitive. Retailers, though, engage in obfuscation—practices that frustrate consumer search or make it less damaging to firms—resulting in much less price sensitivity on some other products. We discuss several models of obfuscation and examine its effects on demand and markups empirically.
MLA
Ellison, Glenn, and Sara Fisher Ellison. “Search, Obfuscation, and Price Elasticities on the Internet.” Econometrica, vol. 77, .no 2, Econometric Society, 2009, pp. 427-452, https://doi.org/10.3982/ECTA5708
Chicago
Ellison, Glenn, and Sara Fisher Ellison. “Search, Obfuscation, and Price Elasticities on the Internet.” Econometrica, 77, .no 2, (Econometric Society: 2009), 427-452. https://doi.org/10.3982/ECTA5708
APA
Ellison, G., & Ellison, S. F. (2009). Search, Obfuscation, and Price Elasticities on the Internet. Econometrica, 77(2), 427-452. https://doi.org/10.3982/ECTA5708
The Executive Committee of the Econometric Society has approved an increase in the submission fees for papers in Econometrica. Starting January 1, 2025, the fee for new submissions to Econometrica will be US$125 for regular members and US$50 for student members.
By clicking the "Accept" button or continuing to browse our site, you agree to first-party and session-only cookies being stored on your device. Cookies are used to optimize your experience and anonymously analyze website performance and traffic.