Publication
The Korean Economic Review
Strategic Price Decision Inducing Consumer Rationing: Theory and Evidence
Kwang-Sook HuhYear 2008Vol. 24No. 1
Abstract
This paper assumes that consumers make their quality inference in part on the basis of past excess demand for the good. It indicates that excess demand in the previous period can influence subsequent potential buyers’ purchasing behavior. It may then be rational for a firm introducing a new product to adjust its initial production and price to increase the likelihood of excess demand in an attempt to nfluence potential consumers’ perception of quality and, thus, subsequent demand. This paper formally develops a model that demonstrates this result in the context of a market with demand and quality uncertainty. The model’s predictions are tested using a data set of new cars in the US, and empirical results support the theory.