Abstract
We study bundling by a dominant multi-product firm facing competition from a rival multi-product firm. Compared to competition under independent pricing, competition under pure bundling reduces (increases) each firm's profit for low (high) levels of dominance, while for intermediate levels of dominance, it increases the dominant firm's profit but reduces the rival's profit. The latter result provides a justification for the use of contractual bundling to build entry barrier. When we allow for mixed bundling, we find a threshold level of dominance above which the unique outcome is the one under pure bundling.
JEL codes
- D43: Oligopoly and Other Forms of Market Imperfection
- L13: Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
- L41: Monopolization • Horizontal Anticompetitive Practices
Replaced by
Sjaak Hurkens, Doh-Shin Jeon, and Domenico Menicucci, “Dominance and Competitive Bundling”, American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, vol. 11, n. 3, August 2019, pp. 1–33.
Reference
Sjaak Hurkens, Doh-Shin Jeon, and Domenico Menicucci, “Dominance and Competitive Bundling”, TSE Working Paper, n. 13-423, August 13, 2013, revised May 2018.
See also
Published in
TSE Working Paper, n. 13-423, August 13, 2013, revised May 2018