Competitive Dynamics of Online and Brick-and-Mortar Retail Prices

August 15, 2022

Rosa Abrantes-Metz
Mame Maloney

The authors acknowledge funding for this paper from the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA)

Prices charged by brick-and-mortar retail channels tend to correspond closely to those charged online – good news for consumers, who benefit from a competitive retail landscape through lower prices and diverse venue options. This is a key finding in an economic study by the Brattle Group analyzing nationwide price and volume aggregates alongside hand-collected price observations from individual retail locations. The study found that both channels fiercely compete on price.

Read Download Key Takeaways Press Release

Research

September 23, 2026

The $103,265 H-1B Fee Could Cost the U.S. Treasury More than $32 Billion over a Decade

DHS proposes a $103,265 fee on every cap-subject H-1B petition, 78 percent of median H-1B pay, and projects $8.8 billion a year by assuming employers keep filing 85,000 petitions. DHS's own docket ...

Immigration

Research

September 8, 2026

The Supply Chain Costs of the FCC’s 2026 Covered List Regime

The FCC's 2026 Covered List regime now bars routers, drones, inverters, and robots made anywhere abroad, yet no agency has estimated the cost. This study finds domestic-only production-location det...

Digital Economy

Research

July 30, 2026

Steering Fees and the Risks of Price Regulation

This report, prepared for CCIA by the economic consultancy S&W Group, examines the UK competition regulator's plan to let app developers point customers to payment options outside Apple's and Googl...

Competition

Research

July 29, 2026

Public First UK Survey of Consumers’ App Store Experiences

The UK Competition and Markets Authority just closed its consultation on new Conduct Requirements that would constrain how app stores protect consumers and regulate their fees. The conduct requirem...

Competition