Seminar

Past

Competition Through Recommendations

Robin Ng

  • Date2 December 2024
  • Time 14h15 - 15h30
  • Room Auditorium 4

Abstract

Consumers rely on recommendations of platforms when purchasing products. I examine a platform's decision to provide product recommendations which are informative of value-for-money. More informative recommendations have two effects: (i) a screening effect, where lower quality firms exit the platform; and (ii) a ranking effect, where consumers interact more with higher quality firms. Of the remaining firms, screening benefits higher quality firms, while ranking benefits only the highest quality firms. Both effects increase consumer surplus, attracting more consumers to the platform. However, more informative recommendations lead to fierce price competition between firms. Hence, a platform has to balance volume and commission fees. When facing competition, a platform's recommendation becomes more informative when it's competitor's recommender system is more informative.

Other seminars

To be announced

  • Seminar

  • Industrial Organization seminar

  • Date 7 December 2026

  • Place Auditorium 4

  • Speaker or organiser Teck Yong Tan (University of Rochester)

Details

To be announced

  • Seminar

  • Industrial Organization seminar

  • Date 16 November 2026

  • Place Auditorium 4

  • Speaker or organiser Sandro Shelegia (University of Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona)

Details

Joint IO-Finance Seminar - Platform money

  • Seminar

  • Industrial Organization seminar

    Finance Seminar, TSE - TSM-R

  • Date 9 November 2026

  • Place Auditorium 4

  • Speaker or organiser Kathy Yuan

Details