What is price discrimination and why is it profitable?
Price discrimination involves the use of different prices charged to various customers for the same product or service. It is commonly used by larger, established businesses to profit from differences in supply and demand from consumers.
Companies benefit from price discrimination because it can entice consumers to purchase larger quantities of their products or it can motivate otherwise uninterested consumer groups to purchase products or services.
Price discrimination benefits businesses through higher profits. A discriminating monopoly is extracting consumer surplus and turning it into supernormal profit. Price discrimination also might be used as a predatory pricing tactic to harm competition at the supplier's level and increase a firm's market power.
A key condition for price discrimination to occur is the identification of different market segments. If this is possible different groups have different price elasticities of demand. Therefore the firm can charge different prices depending on the consumers sensitivity to price changes.
price discrimination is and is not profitable. We show that an important condition for profitable price discrimination is that the percentage change in surplus (i.e., consumers' total willingness to pay, less the firm's costs) associated with a product upgrade is increasing in consumers' willingness to pay.
Because companies or organizations engaged in price discrimination offer discounts for more price-sensitive customers, buyers who would be otherwise excluded from various goods and services are able to benefit from those goods and services.
Some benefits of price discrimination include more revenues for the seller, lower prices for some customers, and well-regulated demand. The disadvantages of price discrimination are a potential reduction in consumer surplus, possible unfairness, and administration costs for separating the market.
Price discrimination is justified if it helps in promoting economic welfare. Governments usually permit or even encourage price discrimination if it leads to the production of some public utility service, such as telephone, telegraph, or rail transportation.
One example of price discrimination can be seen in the airline industry. Consumers buying airline tickets several months in advance typically pay less than consumers purchasing at the last minute. When demand for a particular flight is high, airlines raise ticket prices in response.
Price discrimination can be harmful if it is costly to impose and reduces consumer surplus in the short run without a sufficient compensating effect. Such compensating effects might include expanding the market, intensifying competition, preventing commitment to maintain high prices, or incentivising innovation.
Is price discrimination always good for producers?
In conclusion, price discrimination is good for producers, however it can be both positive and negative for consumers.
Price discrimination might allow firm to produce more and benefit from economies of scale, lowering costs and prices in all segments. Price discrimination may enable a firm to drive competitors out of the more elastic market. Some consumers may be able to buy something they otherwise could not afford.

Price discrimination is a selling strategy that charges customers different prices for the same product or service based on what the seller thinks they can get the customer to agree to. In pure price discrimination, the seller charges each customer the maximum price they will pay.
Price discrimination typically helps increase the monopoly firm's profit by maximizing its total revenue. A monopolist charges some customers higher prices rather than a uniform fee for all buyers. Price discrimination among customers with inconsistent demands can minimize the risk of setting up a uniformly high price.
Some benefits of price discrimination include more revenues for the seller, lower prices for some customers, and well-regulated demand. The disadvantages of price discrimination are a potential reduction in consumer surplus, possible unfairness, and administration costs for separating the market.
Price Discrimination is a strategy that businesses use to maximise revenue by charging customers different prices based on their willingness to pay. For example, cinemas frequently offer different prices for adults, seniors, and children. They also offer deals for specific days of the week.