Publications in: Consumer behaviour and protection

Potential Impacts of Stamp Price Increases: Consumer Research

Published: February, 2012

Consumer Focus has published the report by London Economics “Potential impacts of stamp price increases: Consumer research”. The study examines how consumers might react to stamp price increases in the context of potential rises following Ofcom’s Royal Mail price control, using an online choice experiment methodology. In particular, we analyse the extent to which consumers […]

Consumer Information on Broadband Speed and Net Neutrality Experiment

Published: November, 2011

Ofcom has published the report by London Economics “Consumer information on Broadband Net Neutrality”. This study uses an economic experiment and behavioural economics to test the impact on consumers’ internet package choice of how information about packages is presented. Participants in the experiment were faced with different information frames, including the use of colour coding […]

Estimating the Value of Lost Load (VoLL)

Published: November, 2011

This report for Ofgem estimates the Value of Lost Load (VoLL) for domestic and SME, industrial and commercial (I&C), and electricity producing gas consumers. VoLL represents the value that gas users attribute to security of gas supply and the estimates could be used to provide a price signal about the adequate level of security of […]

Review of Company Surveys of Consumer Willingness to Pay to Reduce the Impacts of Transmission Infrastructure on Visual Amenity

Published: October, 2011

In the context of potential measures to reduce the visual amenity impacts of existing transmission infrastructure, this London Economics study for Ofgem provides a critical review of willingness to pay evidence provided to Ofgem by the transmission operators. The first step of the review involved determining a current best practice model for WTP studies assessing […]

Quality of Services and Consumers’ Needs: Recent Evidence from France

Published: June, 2011

19th CPDE, CRRI, Jersey, June 2011.

Study on Consumers’ Postal Practices and Socio-economic Needs in Terms of the Quality and Provision of the Priority Postal Service

Published: June, 2011

The study focuses on the postal practices and needs of households and businesses, especially SMEs. The first part of the study examines the extent to which the postal service is important to users, the users’ knowledge of postal products, their current postal practices, their sensitivity to the time it takes for a postal product to […]

Consumer Behavioural Biases in Competition

Published: May, 2011

Consumer behavioural biases imply that consumers may not behave in the fully rational way that many economic models assume. This study assesses what impact behavioural biases can have on competition, including, how competition and pricing practices may change when consumers are biased; if lowering barriers to entry can reduce inefficiencies that arise from consumer behavioural […]

Consumer Behavioural Biases in Competition

Published: May, 2011

Office of Fair Trading, May 4, 2011.

Digital Radio Switchover: Willingness to Pay and Consumer Behaviour Research

Published: April, 2011

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has published the report Digital Radio Switchover: Willingness to Pay and Consumer Behaviour Research by London Economics in association with YouGov. The study assesses consumers’ willingness to pay for the various attributes of digital radio through a choice experiment, and examines consumers’ attitudes towards radio and the costs […]

Competition-promoting Consumer Behaviour

Published: March, 2011

The Danish Competition and Consumer Authority (DCCA) has published two reports analysing the interactions between consumer behaviour and competition in retail markets; one of which was written by London Economics. The study undertaken by London Economics analyses consumer behaviour during the purchasing processes and is based on a survey of 6,000 Danish consumers. The study […]