搜寻成本、网络外部性与价格离散:来自淘宝服装和电脑配件市场的经验

Searching Cost,Network Externalities and Price Dispersion:Evidences from Online Clothing and Computer Accessories Markets in Taobao

通过来自淘宝的经验数据,实证检验淘宝C2C网络交易市场中网络外部性、竞争效应以及消费者搜寻成本对商品价格离散度的影响。证明了消费者搜寻成本越高,产品的价格离散度就越高,并得出:当卖方数量小于临界值,在网络外部性和搜寻成本的影响下,价格离散度与卖方数量成正比,即卖方数量越多,产品的价格离散度越高;当卖方数量大于临界值,在竞争效应作用下,价格离散度与卖方数量成反比,即价格离散下降,价格趋于竞争价格。

This paper studies the effect of Searching Cost, and Network Externalities on Price Dispersion using the data from Online Clothing and Computer Accessories Markets in Taobao. The traditional Bertrand model ascertain that when there are more retailers, they would tend to fix the price at the marginal cost. As a result, the price dispersion of the product is zero. However, with the emergence of the online market, many scholars have found that when there are more retailers, the price dispersion will become higher. The results of this study shows that there is a threshold point where the number of retailers influences price dispersion in C2C online market such as Taobao. Before this critical point, the more retailers, the higher of the price dispersion. However, once surpass this critical point, the more retailers, the lower of the price dispersion. For different kinds of products, the threshold number is different.