IN SEARCH OF THE BEST BUNDLE: HILL-CLIMBING CONSUMERS AND THE MICRODYNAMICS OF CONSUMER CHOICE

Abstract. The paper considers the consequences of hill-climbing consumer behavior in the presence of nonconvex utility, and considers the optimal reactions of nonmyopic firms and governments to such behavior. Both firms and governments have an incentive to induce consumers to start consuming goods subject to nonconvexities by offering introductory price discounts. Monopolists appear to offer smaller introductory discounts than is optimal; competitive markets may never be able to supply such goods at all.