Bundling as an Entry Barrier

Barry Nalebuff

The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2004, vol. 119, issue 1, 159-187

Abstract: In this paper we look at the case for bundHng in an oHgopohstic environment. We show that bundhng is a particularly effective entry-deterrent strategy. A company that has market power in two goods, A and B, can, by bundling them together, make it harder for a rival with only one of these goods to enter the market. Bundling allows an incumbent to credibly defend both products without having to price low in each. The traditional explanation for bundling that economists have given is that it serves as an effective tool of price discrimination by a monopolist. Although price discrimination provides a reason to bundle, the gains are small compared with the gains from the entry-deterrent effect.

Date: 2004
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