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Leaflet reference Publication title and description Quantity required
oft1324 Consumer behavioural biases in competition (May 2011)
A review of how consumer behavioural biases impact firms' decisions and hence the competitive equilibria. Consumer behavioural biases imply that consumers may not behave in the rational way many economic models presume.
OFT1324 Consumer behavioural biases in competition - a survey (pdf 950 kb)
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oft1224 What does Behavioural Economics mean for Competition Policy? (May 2010)
This paper was written by Matthew Bennett, John Fingleton, Amelia Fletcher, Liz Hurley and David Ruck of the Office of Fair Trading. The OFT has been deepening its understanding of the implications of Behavioural Economics to its work and, as part of this, set up a behavioural economics unit at the end of 2008.
What does Behavioural Economics mean for Competition Policy? (pdf 344 kb)
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oft1218 Minority interests in competitors (April 2010)
This report, by DotEcon, looks at where competitors take minority interests in other competitors in situations which fall outside the scope of the UK Merger Control regime.
Minority interests in competitors (pdf 1.47 mb)
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oft1213 Behavioural Economics as Applied to Firms: A Primer (March 2010)
The latest in our series of economic discussion papers which are designed to promote debate and deepen understanding in the economics of both competition and consumer enforcement and policy.
Behavioural economics as applied to firms (pdf 750 kb)
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oft1132 An assessment of discretionary penalties regimes (October 2009)
Part of our series of economic discussion papers which are designed to promote debate and deepen understanding in the economics of both competition and consumer enforcement and policy.
OFT1132: An assessment of discretionary penalties regimes (pdf 1.44 mb)
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oft 1030 The competition impact of environmental product standards (October 2008)
A report prepared by Frontier Economics for the OFT
The competition impact of environmental product standards (pdf 575 kb)
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oft994 Assessing the effectiveness of potential remedies in consumer markets (April 2008)
A report on assessing the effectiveness of potential remedies in consumer markets
Assessing the effectiveness of potential remedies in consumer markets (pdf 637 kb)
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oft991 Interactions between competition and consumer policy (April 2008)
An economic perspective on the interactions between competition and consumer policy.
Interactions between competition and consumer policy (pdf 967 kb)
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oft981 An evaluation of the impact upon productivity of ending resale price maintenance on books (February 2008)
A report that examines how the ending of resale price maintenance (RPM) on books affected productivity in book publishing and retailing.
An evaluation of the impact upon productivity of ending resale price maintenance on books (pdf 441 kb)
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oft923 Economic analysis of markets characterised by bidding processes (May 2007)
The objective of this research is to provide an analytical framework for the competitive assessment of markets where key competitive variables are determined by an auctions or bidding processes.
Markets with bidding processes  (pdf 695 kb)
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oft889 Competition in markets with commission rates (January 2007)
This report looks at the rationale for using commission rates as a payment mechanism and any impact that their use has on competition and consumer welfare.
Competition in markets with commission rates (pdf 529 kb) Competition in markets with commission rates - annexes (pdf 590 kb)
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oft887 Productivity and competition (January 2007)
This research explores the links between competition and productivity that are identified in academic literature.
Productivity and competition (pdf 401 kb)
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oft864 Research into the costs of inappropriate intervention/non intervention under Article 82 (September 2006)
The object of this research is to improve the OFT's understanding of the costs of inappropriate competition authority (non) intervention in cases relating to abuse of dominance.
The cost of inappropriate interventions/non interventions under Article 82 - Sep 06 (pdf 588 kb) The cost of inappropriate interventions/non interventions under Article 82 - annexes  (pdf 2.19 mb)
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oft863 The competitive effects of buyer groups (January 2007)
This report explores the competitive effects of cooperation between buyers and suggests a framework of analysis to assess these in individual cases.
The competitive effects of buyer groups (pdf 566 kb)
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oft804 Selective price cuts and fidelity rebates (July 2005)
The object of this research is to identify the potential anti-competitive effects of such strategies and their potential benefits and to provide practical guidance on how to assess when such conduct is to the detriment of ultimate consumers.
Selective price cuts and fidelity rebates - Economic discussion paper (pdf 1.86 mb) Annexes (pdf 802 kb)
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oft790 Price comparisons research (July 2005)
The object of this research is to develop our understanding of how consumers react to price advertisements and which factors are influential in this process.
Research into misleading price comparisons (pdf 1.68 mb) Price comparisons research - cover report (pdf 204 kb)
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oft773 Predicting cartels (March 2005)
Empirical study into the economic and structural factors that are typically considered to contribute to the formation, maintenance or detection of cartels with a view to informing the assessment of cartels.
Predicting cartels (pdf 476 kb)
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oft767 Ex-post evaluation of mergers (March 2005)
Analysis of a sample of mergers that were referred to the Competition Commission for investigation and ultimately unconditionally cleared.
Ex post evaluation of mergers (pdf 518 kb)
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oft749 Empirical indicators for market investigations (September 2004)
This research aims at developing a method of selecting potential areas for market studies.
Empirical indicators for market investigations - conclusion and summary (pdf 314 kb) Empirical indicators for market investigations - Part 1 (pdf 812 kb) Empirical indicators for market investigations - Part 2 (pdf 1.01 mb)
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oft742 Assessing the impact of public sector procurement on competition (September 2004)
Preliminary research into the impact of public procurement on competition including an in-depth economic analysis of the relationships between public procurement and competition.
Summary (pdf 420 kb) Main report (pdf 1.1 mb) case studies (pdf 490 kb)
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oft657 Assessing profitability in competition policy analysis (July 2003)
This report was commissioned by the OFT from OXERA.
Assessing profitability in competition policy analysis (pdf 743 kb)
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oft655 Switching costs (April 2003)
This report was wriiten by the National Economic Research Associates and jointly commissioned by the OFT and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. It examines the implications of consumer switching costs for the way in which markets work.
Switching costs - Economic discussion paper 5 - Part 1: Economic models and policy implications (pdf 650 kb) Switching costs - Economic discussion paper 5 - Annexe A: literature review (pdf 756 kb) Switching costs - Economic discussion paper 5 - Annexe B: review of empiracal methods (pdf 584 kb) Switching costs - Economic discussion paper 5 - Annexe C: case studies (pdf 873 kb)
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oft636 A study into certain aspects of the cost of capital for regulated utilities in the UK (February 2003)
A study into the cost of capital. This is an independent study and does not necessarily reflect the views of either the OFT or the regulators.
A Study into Certain Aspects of the Cost of Capital for Regulated Utilities in the UK (pdf 735 kb)
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oft386 The development of targets for consumer savings arising from competition policy (June 2002)
This report suggests an appropriate methodology for quantifying the benefits to consumers that arise from the competition policy work of the OFT.
The development of targets for consumer savings arising from competition policy (pdf 376 kb) Part IV - preliminary discussion of an approach to non-merger cases (pdf 104 kb)
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oft377 Innovation and competition policy (March 2002)
This paper examines the role and application of competition policy within markets where there is large scale innovation.
Innovation and competition policy - part 1 - conceptual issues (pdf 383 kb) Innovation and competition policy - part 2 - case studies (pdf 233 kb)
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oft342 The role of market definition in monopoly and dominance inquiries (July 2001)
An OFT economic discussion paper.
The role of market definition in monopoly and dominance inquiries (pdf 278 kb)
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oft308 E-commerce and its implications for competition policy (August 2000)
Research into the possible competition policy implications arising from the growth in e-commerce.
E-commerce and its implications for competition policy (pdf 445 kb)
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oft267 Merger appraisal in oligopolistic markets (November 1999)
A report prepared for the OFT by National Economic Research Associates.
Merger appraisal in oligopolistic markets (pdf 308 kb)
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oft266 Quantitative techniques in competition analysis (October 1999)
A report prepared for the OFT by LECG Ltd.
Quantitative techniques in competition analysis (pdf 322 kb)
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oft239 The welfare consequences of the exercise of buyer power (September 1998)
A report prepared for the OFT by Paul Dobson, Michael Waterson, and Alex Chu.
The welfare consequences of the exercise of buyer power (pdf 137 kb)
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oft195 Competition in retailing (September 1997)
An OFT report prepared by London Economics.
Competition in retailing (pdf 343 kb)
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oft194 Consumer detriment under conditions of imperfect information (August 1997)
A report prepared for the OFT by London Economics.
Consumer detriment under conditions of imperfect information (pdf 299 kb)
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oft177 Vertical restraints and competition policy (December 1996)
A report prepared for the OFT by Paul Dobson and Michael Waterson.
Vertical restraints and Competition policy (pdf 179 kb)
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