Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/73591 
Year of Publication: 
2010
Series/Report no.: 
Working Paper No. 1002
Publisher: 
Johannes Kepler University of Linz, Department of Economics, Linz
Abstract: 
Basu (2006) argues that the prevalence of 99 cent prices in shops can be explained with rational consumers who disregard the rightmost digits of the price. This bounded rational behaviour leads to a Bertrand equi- librium with positive markups. We use data from an Austrian price com- parison site and find results highly compatible with Basu's theory. We can show that price points - in particular prices ending in 9 - are preva- lent and have significant impact on consumer demand. Moreover, these price points are sticky; neither the price-setter itself wants to change them neither the rivals do underbid these prices, if they represent the cheapest price on the market.
Subjects: 
e-commerce
price comparison
price policy
JEL: 
M31
L81
L25
Document Type: 
Working Paper

Files in This Item:
File
Size
390.15 kB





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.