Pricing on the Internet
探讨互联网如何改变定价环境，指出尽管在线零售降低了生产成本和搜索成本，但广告密集、产品差异化和转换成本仍可能削弱竞争，并预测信息商品中歧视性定价将成为常态，同时在线拍卖提高了效率和利润。
It is frequently claimed that the growth of e-commerce has created a more competitive environment. It is argued that lower production costs of online retailers encourages new entry in previously concentrated sectors, and a marked reduction in search costs and switching costs increase the intensity of competition. The limited evidence that exists paints a more mixed picture. Many online markets tend to be advertising-intensive, creating a tendency towards concentration; search and price comparison are not perfect; firms can create product heterogeneity and raise switching costs to dampen price competition. Where firms have some market power, as in the market for information goods, we expect discriminatory pricing to become the norm. Apart from posted prices, the internet has extended the use of auctions, even to relatively low-value goods previously traded in thin local markets. The lowcost, relatively frictionless online auction markets have increased profits as well as economic efficiency, and may emerge as the principal pricing method for a large number of goods and services.