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4 - E-Commerce Marketplaces

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 June 2020

Francesco Ducci
Affiliation:
New York University
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Summary

This chapter highlights the natural concentration limits in the context of digital platforms, concluding that e-commerce platforms lack the features of natural monopolies. Despite being characterized by a significant degree of network effects and scale economies, e-commerce is characterized by a large degree of product differentiation, representing a strong counterforce against natural concentration. Negating the applicability of the natural monopoly paradigm, this chapter eveluates the role that competition policy should play in e-commerce, a question that becomes particularly salient following rising calls to abandon the consumer welfare standard in favor of a plurality of objectives including protection of deconcentrated market structures, political pluralism, or inequality. This chapter suggests that stricter review of vertical mergers and more emphasis on issues market power leveraging are desirable for stronger enforcement in markets like e-commerce characterized by scale and network effects.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

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  • E-Commerce Marketplaces
  • Francesco Ducci, New York University
  • Book: Natural Monopolies in Digital Platform Markets
  • Online publication: 30 June 2020
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108867528.004
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  • E-Commerce Marketplaces
  • Francesco Ducci, New York University
  • Book: Natural Monopolies in Digital Platform Markets
  • Online publication: 30 June 2020
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108867528.004
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • E-Commerce Marketplaces
  • Francesco Ducci, New York University
  • Book: Natural Monopolies in Digital Platform Markets
  • Online publication: 30 June 2020
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108867528.004
Available formats
×