Online retail search traffic is often concentrated at a “prominent” retailer for a product. The authors unpack the ramification of this pattern on pricing, profit, and consumer welfare in an intra-brand setting. Prominence denotes a larger number of heterogenous search cost consumers starting their search at the prominent retailer than at any other retailer. This analyses show that search traffic concentration can intensify intra-brand competition, can lower average prices of all retailers, and can improve consumer welfare. Interestingly, the prominent retailer's incremental traffic advantage can increase or reduce its own profit; the authors denote these as the “blessing” and “curse” of prominence respectively. The authors extend their analysis to a setting where consumers consider searching only amongst those retailers of whom they are individually aware of; the prominent retailer is included in all these individual awareness sets. The effects on market average prices and welfare carry over, but only below a critical threshold level of the prominent retailer's first-search traffic advantage. Above this threshold, market average prices rise and welfare decreases, making this the region where search concentration warrant scrutiny from policy makers. The authors close with policy remedies, and managerial implications of search concentration.

在线零售搜索流量通常集中在产品的“知名”零售商处。作者揭示了这种模式在品牌内部环境中对定价、利润和消费者福利的影响。突出表示在知名零售商处开始搜索的异质搜索成本消费者比在任何其他零售商处都要多。这一分析表明，搜索流量集中可以加剧品牌内竞争，可以降​​低所有零售商的平均价格，并可以提高消费者福利。有趣的是，突出零售商的增量流量优势可以增加或减少其自身的利润；作者将这些分别称为突出的“祝福”和“诅咒”。作者将他们的分析扩展到消费者考虑仅在他们个人知道的零售商中进行搜索的环境；著名的零售商包含在所有这些个人认知集中。对市场平均价格和福利的影响持续存在，但仅低于著名零售商的首次搜索流量优势的临界阈值水平。高于此阈值，市场平均价格上升而福利下降，这使得该地区成为需要政策制定者仔细审查的搜索集中地区。作者以政策补救措施和搜索集中的管理影响结束。但仅低于著名零售商的首次搜索流量优势的临界阈值水平。高于此阈值，市场平均价格上升而福利下降，这使得该地区成为需要政策制定者仔细审查的搜索集中地区。作者以政策补救措施和搜索集中的管理影响结束。但仅低于著名零售商的首次搜索流量优势的临界阈值水平。高于此阈值，市场平均价格上升而福利下降，这使得该地区成为需要政策制定者仔细审查的搜索集中地区。作者以政策补救措施和搜索集中的管理影响结束。