There have been many claims that the Internet represents a new nearly frictionless market. The characteristics of the Internet as a channel for two categories of homogeneous products books and CDs. Additionally the Internet e-tailers' price adjustments over time are up to 100 times smaller than conventional e-tailers' price adjustments - presumably reflecting lower menu costs in Internet channels. The levels of price dispersion depend importantly on the measures employed. When compare the prices posted by different Internet e-tailers it is find substantial dispersion.
Internet e-tailer prices differ by an average of 33% for books and 25% for CDs. However, when weight these prices by proxies for market share, it is found dispersion is lower in Internet channels than in conventional channels, reflecting the dominance of certain heavily branded e-tailers. It concludes that while there is lower friction in many dimensions of Internet competition, branding, awareness, and trust remain important sources of heterogeneity among Internet e-tailers.
The conventional wisdom regarding Internet competition, expressed in the preceding quotes, is that the unique characteristics of the Internet will bring about a nearly perfect market. In the extreme version of Internet efficiency view, the characteristics of the Internet will lead to a market where e-tailer location is irrelevant, consumers are fully informed of prices and product offerings, and all e-tailers make zero economic profit. At the same time, there is evidence that the Internet may not be completely efficient.
If the Internet makes location irrelevant, why are Internet e-tailers making million-dollar deals for the right to showcase their products on major Internet portals and content sites.2 While there may be answers to these questions consistent with the efficiency hypothesis, the degree of efficiency on the Internet deserves empirical verification. Ultimately, the effects of the Internet on commerce are likely to be varied and occasionally unpredictable. Even the best theorizing will need to be based on empirical observations.
Accordingly, actual prices charged by Internet and conventional e-tailers of books and compact discs. There is different effect of electronic commerce on differentiated goods markets. Online grocery sales tell that price sensitivity can sometimes be lower online than in conventional channels. The prior positive experience with a brand in the physical world can decrease price sensitivity online.
The sale of wine through electronic channels to show that the amount of product information provided to customers can affect price competition and increase customer loyalty. The prices for used cars sold via electronic auction markets tend to be higher than prices for used cars sold via conventional auction markets. The prices for airline tickets offered by online travel agents vary by as much as 20%. The prices for homogeneous physical goods matched across conventional and Internet channels. The homogeneous goods are most likely to experience strong price competition given the characteristics of Internet channels.
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