Publications in: Consumer and firm behaviour

A Guide to Privatisation – Best Practices and Procedures

Published:16 February, 2023

Many countries have privatised some or all of their State-Owned Enterprises in order to improve the efficiency of their economies and raise revenues for the government. Some of the privatisation experiences have been more successful than others and a wealth of knowledge on what works in a privatisation has been accumulated over the last 40 […]

Assessing Impact of a Flat and Variable Deposit Fee for Romanian Deposit Return Scheme – December 2021

Published:17 December, 2021

As countries seek to reduce waste and boost recycling, many are considering Deposit Return Schemes for drinks packaging. Designs vary from fixed to variable deposits. LE’s study on the design of a Deposit Return Scheme in Romania illustrates that countries should consider carefully the design features of these schemes. The summary report can be downloaded […]

Feasibility Study into the Viability of Establishing a No-Interest Loans Scheme (NILS) in the UK – March 2020

Published:11 March, 2020

London Economics has completed a feasibility study into the viability of establishing a no-interest loans scheme in the UK for HM Treasury. Based on wide stakeholder consultations, desk-based research and analysis of various datasets, this study examined various options for potential access and eligibility criteria for the scheme, how such a scheme might be structured, […]

Presentation of LE-Europe’s Behavioural Study on the Digitalisation of the Marketing and Distance Selling of Retail Financial Services

Published:18 June, 2019

Divisional Director James Suter presented LE-Europe’s behavioural study on the digitalisation of the marketing and distance selling of retail financial services at the joint CEPS-ECRI/European Commission conference on protecting consumers taking credit in the digital era, in Brussels on 18th June 2019. This study examines the impacts on consumers of practices used by providers of […]

Behavioural Study on the Digitalisation of the Marketing and Distance Selling of Retail Financial Services – April 2019

Published:10 April, 2019

The study looked into the impacts on consumers of practices used by providers of retail financial services when marketing and selling their products online. Moreover, it suggested ways to improve how consumers are informed when looking to obtain financial products, such as consumer credit or bank accounts, on the internet. Some of the main findings: […]

Future Options for Managing Customer Demand for Water – March 2019

Published:21 March, 2019

Yorkshire Water commissioned London Economics to write a paper on interventions to manage water demand with a special focus on interventions which use behavioural economics. The paper also assessed the effectiveness of temporary use bans (TUBs), commonly known as ‘hosepipe bans’, which must be introduced in times of severe droughts. A rapid evidence assessment of […]

Pre-contractual Information in Retail Energy Markets – Experimental Consumer Research – October 2018

Published:06 November, 2018

The European Commission commissioned LE Europe, Deloitte and Ipsos to study pre-contractual information in retail energy markets. The study used desk research, stakeholder consultations, a consumer survey and a behavioural experiment to understand consumers’ decision-making, attitudes and switching behaviour, and how to improve clarity and comparability in energy prices, consumption and contractual information. The study […]

Behavioural Study on Consumers’ Engagement in the Circular Economy – October 2018

Published:23 October, 2018

The objective of this study was to provide policy-relevant insights on consumers’ engagement in the circular economy. The study involved several research tasks including a literature review across all EU countries as well as third countries, stakeholder interviews, consumer focus groups in 4 EU countries, an online consumer survey in 12 EU countries and an […]

Online Market Segmentation – Experimental Consumer Research and Economic Valuation – August 2018

Published:13 September, 2018

The European Commission commissioned LE Europe, Deloitte and Ipsos to study online personalised pricing and offers and targeted advertising. The study used desk research, stakeholder consultations, mystery shopping, a consumer survey and a behavioural experiment to understand how e-commerce websites use consumers’ personal information, and consumers’ attitudes and behaviour when faced with personalisation online. The […]

Price and Service Transparency on Barristers’ Websites – Experimental Consumer Research – September 2018

Published:13 September, 2018

The Bar Standards Board commissioned London Economics and YouGov to study consumer behaviour and attitudes towards barristers’ price and service transparency. The study used focus groups and a behavioural experiment to understand how consumers access, assess and act on price and service information when searching for barristers’ services. The Bar Standards Board will use the […]

Press Release – Price and Service Transparency on Barristers’ Websites – Experimental Consumer Research – September 2018

Published:14 September, 2018

The Bar Standards Board commissioned London Economics and YouGov to study consumer behaviour and attitudes towards barristers’ price and service transparency. The study used focus groups and a behavioural experiment to understand how consumers access, assess and act on price and service information when searching for barristers’ services. The Bar Standards Board will use the […]