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Author: | Clerides, S. K. |
Title: | Book value: intertemporal pricing and quality discrimination in the US market for books |
Journal: | International Journal of Industrial Organization
2002 : DEC, VOL. 20:10, p. 1385-1408 |
Index terms: | PRICING PRICE DISCRIMINATION QUALITY BOOK PUBLISHING INDUSTRY |
Language: | eng |
Abstract: | Publishers produce books in hardcover and paperback versions with different prices and time of market introduction. Analysis of detailed book-level data reveals that (i) price-cost differentials cannot be explained by cost differences, making this an example of quality discrimination; (ii) market introduction time strongly affects sales, suggesting that time is the crucial dimension of discrimination; and (iii) there is substantial price rigidity across books and over time; prices depend on cost shifters but not on demand shifters. I discuss an explanation for this last finding in terms of the nature of demand in this market. |
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