Free Riding and Sales Strategies for the Internet

35 Pages Posted: 5 Jan 2001 Last revised: 18 Jul 2022

See all articles by Dennis W. Carlton

Dennis W. Carlton

University of Chicago - Booth School of Business; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Judith A. Chevalier

Yale School of Management; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Date Written: January 2001

Abstract

We examine manufacturers' decisions of whether and how to offer their products for sale over the internet. Manufacturers that rely on promotion of their products by brick and mortar retailers must consider the possibility that internet retailers can free ride off of that promotional effort. This creates an incentive for manufacturers to limit the availability of their products over the internet and to control the pricing of their products over the internet. We examine three categories of products: fragrances, DVD players, and side by side refrigerators. Our evidence suggests that manufacturers that limit distribution in the physical world also use various mechanisms to limit distribution online. In particular, we find evidence that these manufacturers attempt to prevent the sale of their products by online retailers who sell goods at deep discounts. Furthermore, we show that manufacturers who distribute their goods directly through manufacturer websites tend to charge very high prices for the products, consistent with the hypothesis that manufacturers internalize free rider issues. While our main focus is on free riding, our evidence on pricing practices is germane to the growing literature on price dispersion on the internet.

Suggested Citation

Carlton, Dennis W. and Chevalier, Judith A., Free Riding and Sales Strategies for the Internet (January 2001). NBER Working Paper No. w8067, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=255362

Dennis W. Carlton (Contact Author)

University of Chicago - Booth School of Business ( email )

5807 S. Woodlawn Avenue
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National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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Judith A. Chevalier

Yale School of Management ( email )

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New Haven, CT 06520-8200
United States

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

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