This paper examines mortgage credit markets and the need for government intervention to protect and advance the public interest. We identify as rationales for the public interest: positive and negative externalities, the promotion of equal access, and information asymmetry and principal agent...

In its submission to the recent OECD Roundtable on Bundled and Loyalty Discounts and Rebates (the "OECD Roundtable on rebates"), Korea observed that "loyalty discounts are getting growing attention both academically and practically" and that "this issue was now on top of the agendas of many...

Product information websites have become ubiquitous in supporting B2C E-Commerce. This paper explores their impact on firm profitability, consumer surplus, and social welfare. Using an analytical model, we show that firms take advantage of such infomediaries and reduce their own information...

I study a model that looks at causes, characteristics and consequences of loyalty schemes in a market with consumers who suffer from self-control problems (Gul and Pesendorfer, 2001). While the literature has mostly focused on loyalty schemes as tools used by firms to compete (Caminal and...

In recent years, billions of dollars are spent, by both online and offline retailers, on website design aimed at increasing consumers’ online engagement. We study the relationship between online engagement and offline sales, utilizing a quasi-experimental setting whereby a leading premium...

We experimentally investigate how firms and consumers react to a sudden cost increase in a competitive retail market. We compare two conditions which exclusively differ with respect to how difficult it is to organize and enforce boycotts. We find that cost increases translate into sudden price...

The article discusses an overview of customer loyalty theoretical framework. It presents both, the classic approach to the subject of loyalty as well as the results of its ongoing evolution. This allowed the identification of factors affecting customer loyalty and a statement that the concept of...

Climate change related risks impact and challenge the private sector in many different ways. This also applies to risk drivers like a companies' reputation and a changing consumer behavior. Since significant risk drivers for companies differ just as much as companies themselves, a sector...

New product development (NPD) has become a key factor for improving enterprise competitiveness. Integrated product development (IPD) is considered a best practice for addressing the complexities of NPD, but most enterprise NPD processes face problems, such as low efficiency, long turnover, and...

This research focused on one specific consumer group of lecturer at Midlands State University n the city of Gweru in central Zimbabwe in order to investigate their shopping choice and patronage behaviour for a restricted range of basic commodities and foodstuffs. The research also sought to gain...