This file is part of IDEAS, which uses RePEc data


[ Papers | Articles | Software | Books | Chapters | Authors | Institutions | JEL Classification | NEP reports | Search | New papers by email | Author registration | Rankings | Volunteers | FAQ | Blog | Help! ]

Patterns of Retail Price Variation

Author info | Abstract | Publisher info | Download info | Related research | Statistics
Author Info
Daniel Hosken () (U.S. Federal Trade Commission)
David Reiffen () (U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission)
Abstract

We examine retail price variation across a range of goods and regions of the United States. We find that the typical grocery product has a regular price and stays at that price at least 50% of the time, and that most deviations from that regular price are downward. Temporary discounts or sales, while infrequent, account for 20% to 50% of the annual variation in retail prices for most product categories. Although existing models of retail sales yield predictions consistent with some aspects of the retail pricing distributions, all of these models fail to explain other important aspects of retail pricing identified here.

Download Info
To our knowledge, this item is not available for download. To find whether it is available, there are three options:
1. Check below under "Related research" whether another version of this item is available online.
2. Check on the provider's web page whether it is in fact available.
3. Perform a search for a similarly titled item that would be available.

Publisher Info
Article provided by The RAND Corporation in its journal RAND Journal of Economics.

Volume (Year): 35 (2004)
Issue (Month): 1 (Spring)
Pages: 128-146
Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML (with abstract), plain text (with abstract), BibTeX, RIS (EndNote, RefMan, ProCite), ReDIF
Handle: RePEc:rje:randje:v:35:y:2004:1:p:128-146

Contact details of provider:
Web page: http://www.rje.org

Order Information:
Web: http://gemini.econ.umd.edu/cgi-bin/rje_online.cgi

For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its listing, contact: ().

Related research
Keywords:

Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Matthijs R Wildenbeest, 2009. "An Empirical Model of Search with Vertically Differentiated Products," Working Papers 2009-01, Indiana University, Kelley School of Business, Department of Business Economics and Public Policy. [Downloadable!]
  2. Peter Berck & Jennifer Brown & Jeffrey Perloff & Sofia Villas-Boas, 2007. "Sales: Tests of Theories on Causality and Timing," Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, UC Berkeley, Working Paper Series 1031, Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, UC Berkeley. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  3. Timothy Richards, 2007. "A nested logit model of strategic promotion," Quantitative Marketing and Economics, Springer, vol. 5(1), pages 63-91, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Virgiliu Midrigan, 2005. "Menu Costs, Multi-Product Firms and Aggregate Fluctuations," Macroeconomics 0511004, EconWPA. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  5. Richards, Timothy, 2005. "A Nested Logit Model of Strategic Promotion," 2005 Annual meeting, July 24-27, Providence, RI 19336, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association). [Downloadable!]
  6. Simon P. Anderson & André de Palma, 2003. "Price Dispersion," Virginia Economics Online Papers 361, University of Virginia, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
    • ANDERSON, Simon & de PALMA, AndrŽ, 2003. "Price dispersion," CORE Discussion Papers 2003032, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE). [Downloadable!]
  7. Emi Nakamura, 2008. "Pass-Through in Retail and Wholesale," NBER Working Papers 13965, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  8. Emi Nakamura & Jon Steinsson, 2005. "Price Setting in a Forward-Looking Customer Market," Macroeconomics 0509010, EconWPA. [Downloadable!]
Statistics
Access and download statistics

Did you know? IDEAS is also providing many rankings, for example of authors and institutions.

This page was last updated on 2009-11-13.


This information is provided to you by IDEAS at the Department of Economics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Connecticut using RePEc data on a server sponsored by the Society for Economic Dynamics.