Title: When does grey market occur? A Cournot duopoly model of intrabrand competition

Authors: Bruce C.Y. Lee, C-T. Hsiao

Addresses: Department of International Trade and Finance, Fu Jen Catholic University, 510, Chung Cheng Road, Hsin Chuang City, Taipei Hsien 242, Taiwan. ' Department of Health Services Administration, Chung Shan Medical University, 100, Sec. 2, Da-Chin St., Taichung 402, Taiwan

Abstract: Grey markets have troubled international businesses for many years. The main suppliers of grey-market goods are diverters, who obtain brand-owner|s authorisation at one country and sells branded goods to a grey marketer at another country in which they are not authorised. This paper proposes a duopoly model that takes the diverter|s point of view to answer the unsolved questions in grey marketing. The equilibrium solution is obtained by Cournot assumption, which assumes that each firm acts independently and attempts to maximise its profits by choosing its output. The extension and implications of this model are also discussed.

Keywords: duopoly model; grey markets; Cournot assumption; diverters; revenue management.

DOI: 10.1504/IJRM.2008.019798

International Journal of Revenue Management, 2008 Vol.2 No.2, pp.201 - 214

Published online: 02 Aug 2008 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article