The value of information in an online consumer electronics market

Consumers who bought electronics products at the lowest prices on Shopper.com during 2000 and 2001 saved an average of 16% off the average listed price. The value of the information provided by a service such as Shopper.com depends on the size of the market, which is consistent with a variety of theories. When two firms list prices, consumers save 11% by purchasing at the lowest price rather than at the average price. These savings jump to 20% when more than 30 firms list prices. However, the potential savings accrue only to consumers on the "right" side of the digital divide.