{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7127578520","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2023.0583","title":"The Economics of Bestsellers: Consumer Search, Sales Ranking, and Social Learning","display_name":"The Economics of Bestsellers: Consumer Search, Sales Ranking, and Social Learning","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-02-04","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7127578520","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2023.0583"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.1287/msom.2023.0583","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2023.0583","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S81410195","display_name":"Manufacturing & Service Operations Management","issn_l":"1523-4614","issn":["1523-4614","1526-5489","1526-5498"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310315699","host_organization_name":"Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310315699"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences"],"type":"journal"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Manufacturing &amp; Service Operations Management","raw_type":"journal-article"},"type":"article","indexed_in":["crossref"],"open_access":{"is_oa":false,"oa_status":"closed","oa_url":null,"any_repository_has_fulltext":false},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5125085432","display_name":"Wentao Lu","orcid":null},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I126520041","display_name":"University of Science and Technology of China","ror":"https://ror.org/04c4dkn09","country_code":"CN","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I126520041","https://openalex.org/I19820366"]},{"id":"https://openalex.org/I4210109416","display_name":"Anhui Science and Technology University","ror":"https://ror.org/01pn91c28","country_code":"CN","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I4210109416"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Wentao Lu","raw_affiliation_strings":["Faculty of Business for Science & Technology, School of Management, University of Science and Technology of China, Anhui 230052, China"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9338-0441","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Faculty of Business for Science & Technology, School of Management, University of Science and Technology of China, Anhui 230052, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I126520041","https://openalex.org/I4210109416"]}]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":null,"display_name":"Man Yu","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5035-8073"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I200769079","display_name":"Hong Kong University of Science and Technology","ror":"https://ror.org/00q4vv597","country_code":"HK","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I200769079"]}],"countries":["HK"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Man Yu","raw_affiliation_strings":["School of Business and Management, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5035-8073","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"School of Business and Management, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I200769079"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":2,"institutions_distinct_count":3,"corresponding_author_ids":[],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":0.0,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.10559967,"is_in_top_1_percent":false,"is_in_top_10_percent":false},"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":"28","issue":"3","first_page":"895","last_page":"916"},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11161","display_name":"Consumer Market Behavior and Pricing","score":0.90829998254776,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1406","display_name":"Marketing"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/14","display_name":"Business, Management and Accounting"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11161","display_name":"Consumer Market Behavior and Pricing","score":0.90829998254776,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1406","display_name":"Marketing"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/14","display_name":"Business, Management and Accounting"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11437","display_name":"Digital Platforms and Economics","score":0.05299999937415123,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1408","display_name":"Strategy and Management"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/14","display_name":"Business, Management and Accounting"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10609","display_name":"Digital Marketing and Social Media","score":0.007699999958276749,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3312","display_name":"Sociology and Political Science"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/purchasing","display_name":"Purchasing","score":0.6546000242233276},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/product","display_name":"Product (mathematics)","score":0.5770999789237976},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/ranking","display_name":"Ranking (information retrieval)","score":0.5133000016212463},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/bayesian-inference","display_name":"Bayesian inference","score":0.4982999861240387},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/preference-learning","display_name":"Preference learning","score":0.47769999504089355},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/granularity","display_name":"Granularity","score":0.4648999869823456},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/preference","display_name":"Preference","score":0.4471000134944916},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/value","display_name":"Value (mathematics)","score":0.4404999911785126},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/social-learning","display_name":"Social learning","score":0.375}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2778813691","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1369832","display_name":"Purchasing","level":2,"score":0.6546000242233276},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C90673727","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q901718","display_name":"Product (mathematics)","level":2,"score":0.5770999789237976},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C189430467","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7293293","display_name":"Ranking (information retrieval)","level":2,"score":0.5133000016212463},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C162853370","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q39809","display_name":"Marketing","level":1,"score":0.5103999972343445},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C160234255","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q812535","display_name":"Bayesian inference","level":3,"score":0.4982999861240387},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C181204326","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7239820","display_name":"Preference learning","level":3,"score":0.47769999504089355},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C177774035","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1246948","display_name":"Granularity","level":2,"score":0.4648999869823456},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C112698675","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q37038","display_name":"Advertising","level":1,"score":0.4551999866962433},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2781249084","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q908656","display_name":"Preference","level":2,"score":0.4471000134944916},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776291640","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2912517","display_name":"Value (mathematics)","level":2,"score":0.4404999911785126},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C162324750","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8134","display_name":"Economics","level":0,"score":0.4049000144004822},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C79416737","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2305519","display_name":"Social learning","level":2,"score":0.375},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779307704","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11794832","display_name":"Coupon","level":2,"score":0.36340001225471497},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2908647359","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2625603","display_name":"Population","level":2,"score":0.35499998927116394},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C175444787","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q39072","display_name":"Microeconomics","level":1,"score":0.35249999165534973},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776214188","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q408386","display_name":"Inference","level":2,"score":0.3504999876022339},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C144133560","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4830453","display_name":"Business","level":0,"score":0.34459999203681946},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C23213687","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q301468","display_name":"Consumer behaviour","level":2,"score":0.33390000462532043},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C158154518","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7310970","display_name":"Relevance (law)","level":2,"score":0.32280001044273376},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C92424840","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7912772","display_name":"Value of information","level":2,"score":0.3140000104904175},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C19351080","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1395034","display_name":"New product development","level":2,"score":0.3111000061035156},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C119982944","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1394203","display_name":"Information economics","level":2,"score":0.30090001225471497},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C518677369","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q202833","display_name":"Social media","level":2,"score":0.2971000075340271},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.28450000286102295},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C139749660","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5657855","display_name":"Sales management","level":2,"score":0.2831999957561493},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C87868495","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q750843","display_name":"Information processing","level":2,"score":0.2718999981880188},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2991860356","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q126793","display_name":"Retail sales","level":2,"score":0.2694000005722046},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C107673813","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q812534","display_name":"Bayesian probability","level":2,"score":0.26269999146461487},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C48798503","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q877546","display_name":"Reputation","level":2,"score":0.2603999972343445},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C180198813","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q121182","display_name":"Information system","level":2,"score":0.2581000030040741},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C80284016","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7404317","display_name":"Sales journal","level":3,"score":0.25049999356269836},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C49937458","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2599292","display_name":"Probabilistic logic","level":2,"score":0.2502000033855438}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":2,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.1287/msom.2023.0583","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2023.0583","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S81410195","display_name":"Manufacturing & Service Operations Management","issn_l":"1523-4614","issn":["1523-4614","1526-5489","1526-5498"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310315699","host_organization_name":"Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310315699"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences"],"type":"journal"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Manufacturing &amp; Service Operations Management","raw_type":"journal-article"},{"id":"pmh:oai:repository.hkust.edu.hk:1783.1-172830","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"http://repository.hkust.edu.hk/ir/Record/1783.1-172830","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306401796","display_name":"Rare & Special e-Zone (The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I200769079","host_organization_name":"Hong Kong University of Science and Technology","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I200769079"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Article"}],"best_oa_location":null,"sustainable_development_goals":[],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"pdf":false,"grobid_xml":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":33,"referenced_works":["https://openalex.org/W1525329683","https://openalex.org/W1558479048","https://openalex.org/W1745158165","https://openalex.org/W1785742855","https://openalex.org/W1892122917","https://openalex.org/W1994318179","https://openalex.org/W2005312755","https://openalex.org/W2066095955","https://openalex.org/W2101731367","https://openalex.org/W2140950724","https://openalex.org/W2142158691","https://openalex.org/W2189153678","https://openalex.org/W2254278051","https://openalex.org/W2266602631","https://openalex.org/W2306295924","https://openalex.org/W2613085438","https://openalex.org/W2755869366","https://openalex.org/W2766386424","https://openalex.org/W2894551216","https://openalex.org/W3016498294","https://openalex.org/W3024200772","https://openalex.org/W3032098999","https://openalex.org/W3122000667","https://openalex.org/W3122229131","https://openalex.org/W3122338966","https://openalex.org/W3122620441","https://openalex.org/W3122708631","https://openalex.org/W3124312273","https://openalex.org/W3125695501","https://openalex.org/W3216465432","https://openalex.org/W4206486967","https://openalex.org/W4280514948","https://openalex.org/W4390060824"],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Problem":[0],"definition:":[1],"Motivated":[2],"by":[3,103,332],"major":[4],"e-commerce":[5,296],"platforms\u2019":[6],"diverse":[7],"practices":[8],"in":[9,60,212,218],"bestseller":[10,71,84,108,112,196,228,238,277,302],"information":[11,43,72,113,132,145,159,197,239,290,303],"provision,":[12],"this":[13],"paper":[14,266],"examines":[15],"consumers\u2019":[16,56,206],"learning,":[17],"searching,":[18],"and":[19,65,73,78,121,186,199,280,286,341],"purchasing":[20],"behavior":[21],"under":[22],"uncertainty":[23],"about":[24,92,271],"products\u2019":[25,40,94],"values,":[26,214],"whereas":[27],"a":[28,49,61,83,134,147,209,216,272],"revenue-maximizing":[29],"platform":[30,141,156,269],"strategically":[31],"decides":[32],"whether":[33],"and,":[34],"if":[35],"so,":[36],"how":[37,67],"to":[38,44,171,177,242],"disclose":[39],"past":[41],"sales":[42,77,119,122,138,151,183,193,232,278,289],"consumers.":[45,164],"Methodology/results:":[46],"We":[47,80,190],"analyze":[48],"two-period":[50],"Bayesian":[51,173],"learning":[52,63,174,255],"model":[53],"that":[54,82,154,180,201,237,253],"embeds":[55],"sequential":[57],"product":[58,213],"search":[59,75,207,248],"social":[62],"framework":[64],"shows":[66],"the":[68,93,99,104,107,140,155,161,178,188,223,250,284,333,342],"interaction":[69],"between":[70],"consumer":[74,219],"impacts":[76],"welfare.":[79],"find":[81],"list":[85],"constitutes":[86],"an":[87,167],"informative":[88],"yet":[89],"noisy":[90],"signal":[91,100],"values.":[95],"The":[96,265,292,324,353],"informativeness":[97],"of":[98,106,114,117,133,146,163,182,195,288,326,347],"is":[101,356],"determined":[102],"granularity":[105,136,149,198,287],"information.":[109],"By":[110],"evaluating":[111],"two":[115],"levels":[116],"granularity,":[118],"ranking":[120],"volume,":[123],"we":[124,235],"discover":[125],"that,":[126],"although":[127],"consumers":[128],"benefit":[129],"more":[130],"from":[131,314],"higher":[135,247],"(i.e.,":[137,150],"volume),":[139],"may":[142,157,240,256],"prefer":[143],"providing":[144],"lower":[148,243],"ranking),":[152],"suggesting":[153],"withhold":[158],"at":[160,358],"cost":[162],"In":[165],"particular,":[166],"inference":[168],"effect":[169],"unique":[170],"multiproduct":[172],"gives":[175],"rise":[176],"possibility":[179],"disclosure":[181],"volume":[184,279],"backfires":[185],"hurts":[187],"platform.":[189],"demonstrate":[191],"significant":[192],"implications":[194],"show":[200,236],"concave":[202],"distribution":[203],"functions":[204],"for":[205],"cost,":[208,249],"stochastic":[210],"increase":[211],"or":[215,246],"growth":[217],"population":[220],"can":[221],"tilt":[222],"platform\u2019s":[224],"preference":[225],"toward":[226],"displaying":[227],"rankings":[229],"without":[230],"revealing":[231],"volumes.":[233],"Furthermore,":[234],"lead":[241],"purchased":[244],"value":[245],"latter":[251],"implying":[252],"public":[254],"stimulate":[257],"rather":[258],"than":[259],"substitute":[260],"private":[261],"learning.":[262],"Managerial":[263],"implications:":[264],"cautions":[267],"retail":[268],"practitioners":[270],"pitfall":[273],"associated":[274],"with":[275,298],"disclosing":[276],"presents":[281],"guidelines":[282],"on":[283,305],"timing":[285],"provision.":[291],"findings":[293],"also":[294],"suggest":[295],"platforms":[297],"consumer-centric":[299],"goals":[300],"enhance":[301],"transparency":[304],"their":[306],"marketplaces.":[307],"Funding:":[308],"W.":[309],"Lu":[310],"gratefully":[311],"acknowledges":[312],"support":[313],"Johns":[315],"Hopkins":[316],"Carey":[317],"Business":[318],"School":[319],"throughout":[320],"his":[321],"postdoctoral":[322],"appointment.":[323],"work":[325],"M.":[327],"Yu":[328],"was":[329],"partially":[330],"supported":[331],"Hong":[334],"Kong":[335],"Research":[336],"Grant":[337],"Council":[338],"[Grant":[339,349],"16505020]":[340],"National":[343],"Natural":[344],"Science":[345],"Foundation":[346],"China":[348],"72022023].":[350],"Supplemental":[351],"Material:":[352],"online":[354],"supplement":[355],"available":[357],"https://isom.hkust.edu.hk/sites/isom/files/people/sales_ranking_supplement_final.pdf":[359],".":[360]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-05-21T06:26:12.895304","created_date":"2026-02-06T00:00:00"}
