Consumer Choice and Corporate Bankruptcy

Using an incentivized randomized experiment, we estimate the causal effect of a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing on consumer demand for the bankrupt firm's products. Knowledge of Hertz's Chapter 11 bankruptcy reduces consumers' willingness-to-pay for Hertz by 35%. We show evidence that consumers fear both (i) a liquidation preventing future relationships with a firm and (ii) a decline in quality while a firm reorganizes. Estimating a structural model of consumer demand, we quantify the large negative impact of Hertz's bankruptcy on Hertz's market share and consumer welfare. We find that educating consumers about Chapter 11 can improve consumer welfare