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Price Setting in Retailing: the Case of Uruguay

Author

Listed:
  • Fernando Borraz

    (Banco Central del Uruguay)

  • Leandro Zipitría

Abstract

We analyze the behavior of prices in Uruguay using a unique database of 30 millions daily prices. We find that prices change about 5 times a year with no seasonal patter. Prices changes are highly synchronized and concentrated on the first day of the month. Our paper is the first to present evidence of high synchronization of prices, which in turn could be explained mainly by the data periodicity. Overall the analysis seems to be consistent with state-dependent pricing models, although we found some interesting features of prices that could not be explained by these models.

Suggested Citation

  • Fernando Borraz & Leandro Zipitría, 2011. "Price Setting in Retailing: the Case of Uruguay," Documentos de trabajo 2011001, Banco Central del Uruguay.
    • Handle: RePEc:bku:doctra:2011001
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    File URL: https://www.bcu.gub.uy/Estadisticas-e-Indicadores/Documentos%20de%20Trabajo/1.2011.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    5. Gita Gopinath & Roberto Rigobon, 2008. "Sticky Borders," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 123(2), pages 531-575.
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    9. Juan Pablo Medina G. & David Rappoport W. & Claudio Soto G., 2007. "Dynamics of Price Adjustments: Evidence From Micro Level Data For Chile," Journal Economía Chilena (The Chilean Economy), Central Bank of Chile, vol. 10(2), pages 5-26, August.
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    11. Ellis, Colin, 2009. "Do supermarket prices change from week to week?," Bank of England working papers 378, Bank of England.
    12. Carlos Madeira, 2019. "Computing population weights for the EFH survey," Journal Economía Chilena (The Chilean Economy), Central Bank of Chile, vol. 22(1), pages 004-026, April.
    13. Emi Nakamura & Jón Steinsson, 2008. "Five Facts about Prices: A Reevaluation of Menu Cost Models," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 123(4), pages 1415-1464.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Fernando Borraz & Alberto Cavallo & Roberto Rigobon & Leandro Zipitria, 2016. "Distance and Political Boundaries: Estimating Border Effects under Inequality Constraints," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 21(1), pages 3-35, January.
    2. Emilio Aguirre & Pablo Blanchard & Fernando Borraz & Joaquín Saldain, 2022. "Prices and competition: evidence from a social program," International Review of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(1), pages 85-101, January.
    3. Fernando Borraz & Leandro Zipitría, 2016. "Law of One Price, Distance, and Borders," Documentos de trabajo 2016007, Banco Central del Uruguay.
    4. Gastón Chaumont & Miguel Fuentes & Felipe Labbé & Alberto Naudon, 2011. "A Reassessment of Flexible Price Evidence Using Scanner Data: Evidence from an Emerging Economy," Working Papers Central Bank of Chile 641, Central Bank of Chile.
    5. Rius, Andrés & Zipitría, Leandro, 2016. "Formación y determinación de precios en el Uruguay," Estudios y Perspectivas – Oficina de la CEPAL en Montevideo 39864, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL).
    6. Klaczko Iael, 2023. "Price dispersion in Uruguay," Asociación Argentina de Economía Política: Working Papers 4662, Asociación Argentina de Economía Política.
    7. Fernando Borraz & Joaquín Saldain, 2017. "Variance Decomposition of Prices in an Emerging Economy," Monetaria, Centro de Estudios Monetarios Latinoamericanos, CEMLA, vol. 0(2), pages 243-269, July-Dece.
    8. Daniel Czarnievicz & Leandro Zipitría, 2018. "Concentración y precios en cinco mercados minoristas," Documentos de Trabajo (working papers) 0618, Department of Economics - dECON.
    9. Fernando Borraz & Gerardo Licandro & Daniela Sola, 2020. "Wage and price setting: new evidence from Uruguayan firms," Journal of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(1), pages 560-582, January.
    10. Kochen Federico, 2016. "Price-Setting in Mexico and the Real Effects of Monetary Shocks," Working Papers 2016-21, Banco de México.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    retail; micro data; prices; price volatility; sticky prices;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E31 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Price Level; Inflation; Deflation
    • D40 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - General
    • L16 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Industrial Organization and Macroeconomics; Macroeconomic Industrial Structure
    • L81 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Retail and Wholesale Trade; e-Commerce

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