Network Topology and Market Structure

Yves Zenou, Ying-Ju Chen and Junjie Zhou

No 14495, CEPR Discussion Papers from C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers

Abstract: We develop a two-stage oligopolistic network competition model where, first, firms simultaneously determine their prices and, then, users connected through a network determine their product's consumption. We show that denser networks (network topology) reduce prices and that a higher number of firms (market structure) reduces prices only when competition is weak. However, the price for the most influential users can increase with the number of firms when competition is very fierce and when there are enough network externalities. We also show that increasing competition always leads to a lower firm's profit while increasing network density leads to a clockwise rotation of the profit curve as a function of the number of firms. Finally, we study the effect of network topology and market structure on price dispersion and determine the optimal network structure from the perspective of both firms and users.

Keywords: Competitive pricing; Entry; Market structure; Optimal network structure (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D43 D85 L13 L14 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020-03
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-bec, nep-com, nep-gth, nep-mic, nep-net and nep-reg
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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