Data and Code for: Self-Preferencing at Amazon: Evidence from Search Rankings

Principal Investigator(s): View help for Principal Investigator(s) Chiara Farronato, Harvard University; Andrey Fradkin, Boston University; Alexander MacKay, Harvard University

Version: View help for Version V1

Name	File Type	Size	Last Modified
brand_names_ra1_wave1.csv	text/csv	31.5 KB	04/25/2023 12:57:PM
brand_names_ra1_wave2.csv	text/csv	10 KB	04/25/2023 12:57:PM
brand_names_ra2_wave1.csv	text/csv	31.7 KB	04/25/2023 12:57:PM
brand_names_ra2_wave2.csv	text/csv	10 KB	04/25/2023 12:57:PM
brand_names_ra3_wave1.csv	text/csv	33.2 KB	04/25/2023 12:57:PM
brand_names_ra3_wave2.csv	text/csv	10.1 KB	04/25/2023 12:57:PM
clean_data.csv	text/csv	90.9 MB	04/26/2023 07:03:AM

Citation:

Farronato, Chiara, Fradkin, Andrey, and MacKay, Alexander. Data and Code for: Self-Preferencing at Amazon: Evidence from Search Rankings: data. Nashville, TN: American Economic Association [publisher], 2023. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2023-05-22. https://doi.org/10.3886/E189942V1-141547

To view the citation for the overall project, see http://doi.org/10.3886/E189942V1.

Project Description

Summary: We study whether Amazon engages in self-preferencing on its marketplace by favoring its own brands (e.g., Amazon Basics) in search. To address this question, we collect new micro-level consumer search data using a custom browser extension installed by a panel of study participants. Using this methodology, we observe search positions, search behavior, and product characteristics. We find that Amazon branded products are indeed ranked higher than observably similar products in consumer search results. The prominence given to Amazon brands is 30% to 60% of the prominence granted to sponsored products.

Scope of Project

Subject Terms: Self-preferencing; e-commerce; digital platforms; antitrust; vertical integration

JEL Classification:
      D12 Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
      D83 Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
      L13 Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
      L15 Information and Product Quality; Standardization and Compatibility
      L81 Retail and Wholesale Trade; e-Commerce

Geographic Coverage: United States

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Published Versions

V1 [2023-05-22]

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