Competitive Markets with Imperfectly Discerning Consumers

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Author: Spiegler, Yair Antler ad Ran
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Spiegler, Yair Antler ad Ran
author_facet Spiegler, Yair Antler ad Ran
contents We develop a market model in which products generate state-dependent potential hidden charges. Firms differ in their ability to realize this potential. Unlike firms, consumers do not observe the state. They try to infer hidden charges from market prices, using idiosyncratic subjective models. We show that an interior competitive equilibrium is uniquely given by what is formally a Bellman equation. We leverage this representation to characterize equilibrium headline prices, add-on charges and welfare. Market responses to shocks display patterns that are impossible under rational expectations. For example, equilibrium prices can be fully revealing and yet vary with consumers' private information.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2409_14885
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Competitive Markets with Imperfectly Discerning Consumers
Spiegler, Yair Antler ad Ran
Theoretical Economics
We develop a market model in which products generate state-dependent potential hidden charges. Firms differ in their ability to realize this potential. Unlike firms, consumers do not observe the state. They try to infer hidden charges from market prices, using idiosyncratic subjective models. We show that an interior competitive equilibrium is uniquely given by what is formally a Bellman equation. We leverage this representation to characterize equilibrium headline prices, add-on charges and welfare. Market responses to shocks display patterns that are impossible under rational expectations. For example, equilibrium prices can be fully revealing and yet vary with consumers' private information.
title Competitive Markets with Imperfectly Discerning Consumers
topic Theoretical Economics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.14885