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Scanner Data, Elementary Price Indexes and the Chain Drift Problem

In: Advances in Economic Measurement

Author

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  • W. Erwin Diewert

    (University of British Columbia
    University of New South Wales)

Abstract

Scanner data from retail outlets has allowed national statistical agencies to construct superlative indexes at the first stage of aggregation. However, if there are strong fluctuations in prices and quantities, chained indexes using scanner data will typically show strong trends which are too large to be credible. To control this chain drift problem, the chapter suggests the use of multilateral index formulae. The chapter compares all of the main multilateral index number formulae both from a theoretical perspective and illustrates the results using a scanner data set on sales of frozen juices for a retail outlet in Chicago. The chapter suggests a new multilateral method that is based on linking observations that have the most similar structure of relative prices and quantities.

Suggested Citation

  • W. Erwin Diewert, 2022. "Scanner Data, Elementary Price Indexes and the Chain Drift Problem," Springer Books, in: Duangkamon Chotikapanich & Alicia N. Rambaldi & Nicholas Rohde (ed.), Advances in Economic Measurement, chapter 0, pages 445-606, Springer.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:sprchp:978-981-19-2023-3_11
    DOI: 10.1007/978-981-19-2023-3_11
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Robert J. Hill, 2004. "Constructing Price Indexes across Space and Time: The Case of the European Union," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 94(5), pages 1379-1410, December.
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    8. Robert J. Hill, 1997. "A Taxonomy Of Multilateral Methods For Making International Comparisons Of Prices And Quantities," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 43(1), pages 49-69, March.
    9. Diewert, Erwin & FOX, Kevin J. Fox & SCHREYER, Paul, 2017. "The Digital Economy, New Products and Consumer Welfare," Microeconomics.ca working papers erwin_diewert-2017-12, Vancouver School of Economics, revised 14 Dec 2017.
    10. D.S. Prasada Rao, 2004. "The Country-Product-Dummy Method: A Stochastic Approach to the Computation of Purchasing Power Parities in the ICP," CEPA Working Papers Series WP032004, School of Economics, University of Queensland, Australia.
    11. Ludwig Auer, 2014. "The Generalized Unit Value Index Family," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 60(4), pages 843-861, December.
    12. Diewert, W. Erwin & Fox, Kevin J., 2017. "Substitution Bias in Multilateral Methods for CPI Construction using Scanner Data," Microeconomics.ca working papers erwin_diewert-2017-3, Vancouver School of Economics, revised 23 Mar 2017.
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    18. D. S. Prasada Rao, 2005. "On The Equivalence Of Weighted Country‐Product‐Dummy (Cpd) Method And The Rao‐System For Multilateral Price Comparisons," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 51(4), pages 571-580, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Diewert, Erwin, 2019. "Quality Adjustment and Hedonics: A Unified Approach," Microeconomics.ca working papers erwin_diewert-2019-2, Vancouver School of Economics, revised 14 Mar 2019.
    2. Abe, Naohito & 阿部, 修人 & Rao, D.S.Prasada, 2020. "Generalized Logarithmic Index Numbers with Demand Shocks: Bridging the Gap between Theory and Practice," RCESR Discussion Paper Series DP20-1, Research Center for Economic and Social Risks, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    3. Ludwig von Auer, 2024. "Inflation Measurement in the Presence of Stockpiling and Smoothing of Consumption," Research Papers in Economics 2024-02, University of Trier, Department of Economics.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Multilateral; Superlative and similarity linked indexes;

    JEL classification:

    • C43 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: Special Topics - - - Index Numbers and Aggregation
    • C81 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Data Collection and Data Estimation Methodology; Computer Programs - - - Methodology for Collecting, Estimating, and Organizing Microeconomic Data; Data Access
    • E31 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Price Level; Inflation; Deflation

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