IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/arx/papers/2602.09969.html

Causal Identification in Multi-Task Demand Learning with Confounding

Author

Listed:
  • Varun Gupta
  • Vijay Kamble

Abstract

We study a canonical multi-task demand learning problem motivated by retail pricing, in which a firm seeks to estimate heterogeneous linear price-response functions across a large collection of decision contexts. Each context is characterized by rich observable covariates yet typically exhibits only limited historical price variation, motivating the use of multi-task learning to borrow strength across tasks. A central challenge in this setting is endogeneity: historical prices are chosen by managers or algorithms and may be arbitrarily correlated with unobserved, task-level demand determinants. Under such confounding by latent fundamentals, commonly used approaches, such as pooled regression and meta-learning, fail to identify causal price effects. We propose a new estimation framework that achieves causal identification despite arbitrary dependence between prices and latent task structure. Our approach, Decision-Conditioned Masked-Outcome Meta-Learning (DCMOML), involves carefully designing the information set of a meta-learner to leverage cross-task heterogeneity while accounting for endogenous decision histories. Under a mild restriction on price adaptivity in each task, we establish that this method identifies the conditional mean of the task-specific causal parameters given the designed information set. Our results provide guarantees for large-scale demand estimation with endogenous prices and small per-task samples, offering a principled foundation for deploying causal, data-driven pricing models in operational environments.

Suggested Citation

  • Varun Gupta & Vijay Kamble, 2026. "Causal Identification in Multi-Task Demand Learning with Confounding," Papers 2602.09969, arXiv.org.
  • Handle: RePEc:arx:papers:2602.09969
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://arxiv.org/pdf/2602.09969
    File Function: Latest version
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Joshua D. Angrist & Jörn-Steffen Pischke, 2009. "Mostly Harmless Econometrics: An Empiricist's Companion," Economics Books, Princeton University Press, edition 1, number 8769, December.
    2. Stefan Wager & Susan Athey, 2018. "Estimation and Inference of Heterogeneous Treatment Effects using Random Forests," Journal of the American Statistical Association, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 113(523), pages 1228-1242, July.
    3. Train,Kenneth E., 2009. "Discrete Choice Methods with Simulation," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521766555, January.
    4. X Nie & S Wager, 2021. "Quasi-oracle estimation of heterogeneous treatment effects [TensorFlow: A system for large-scale machine learning]," Biometrika, Biometrika Trust, vol. 108(2), pages 299-319.
    5. Amine Allouah & Achraf Bahamou & Omar Besbes, 2023. "Optimal Pricing with a Single Point," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 69(10), pages 5866-5882, October.
    6. Nevo, Aviv, 2001. "Measuring Market Power in the Ready-to-Eat Cereal Industry," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 69(2), pages 307-342, March.
    7. Steven T. Berry, 1994. "Estimating Discrete-Choice Models of Product Differentiation," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 25(2), pages 242-262, Summer.
    8. Jerry A. Hausman, 1996. "Valuation of New Goods under Perfect and Imperfect Competition," NBER Chapters, in: The Economics of New Goods, pages 207-248, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Arne Henningsen & Guy Low & David Wuepper & Tobias Dalhaus & Hugo Storm & Dagim Belay & Stefan Hirsch, 2024. "Estimating Causal Effects with Observational Data: Guidelines for Agricultural and Applied Economists," IFRO Working Paper 2024/03, University of Copenhagen, Department of Food and Resource Economics.
    2. Mariko WATANABE, 2015. "Identifying Competition Neutrality of SOEs in China," Discussion papers 15134, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    3. Amit Gandhi & Jean-François Houde, 2019. "Measuring Substitution Patterns in Differentiated-Products Industries," NBER Working Papers 26375, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Steven T. Berry & Philip A. Haile, 2021. "Foundations of Demand Estimation," NBER Working Papers 29305, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Federico Ciliberto & GianCarlo Moschini & Edward D. Perry, 2019. "Valuing product innovation: genetically engineered varieties in US corn and soybeans," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 50(3), pages 615-644, September.
    6. Watanabe, Mariko & Kojima, Michikazu, 2016. "Energy efficiency standard and labeling program and consumer welfare : a case of the air conditioner market in China," IDE Discussion Papers 602, Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organization(JETRO).
    7. Donna, Javier D. & Pereira, Pedro & Trindade, Andre & Yoshida, Renan C., 2020. "Direct-to-Consumer Sales by Manufacturers and Bargaining," MPRA Paper 105773, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Tovar, Jorge, 2012. "Consumers’ Welfare and Trade Liberalization: Evidence from the Car Industry in Colombia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(4), pages 808-820.
    9. Lapo Filistrucchi & Tobias J. Klein, 2013. "Price Competition in Two-Sided Markets with Heterogeneous Consumers and Network Effects," Working Papers 13-20, NET Institute.
    10. Pierre Dubois & Rachel Griffith & Martin O'Connell, 2020. "How Well Targeted Are Soda Taxes?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 110(11), pages 3661-3704, November.
    11. Daniel Toro-Gonzalez & Jia Yan & R. Karina Gallardo & Jill J. McCluskey, 2013. "Estimation of Unobserved Attributes Using a Control Function Approach, Modeling the Demand for Mint Flavored Gum," Working Papers 2013-06, School of Economic Sciences, Washington State University.
    12. Mattia Girotti & Richard Meade, 2017. "U.S. Savings Banks' Demutualization and Depositor Welfare," Working Papers 2017-08, Auckland University of Technology, Department of Economics.
    13. Rachel Griffith & Lars Nesheim & Martin O'Connell, 2018. "Income effects and the welfare consequences of tax in differentiated product oligopoly," Quantitative Economics, Econometric Society, vol. 9(1), pages 305-341, March.
    14. Useche, Pilar & Barham, Bradford & Foltz, Jeremy, 2006. "A Trait Specific Model of GM Crop Adoption by Minnesota and Wisconsin Corn Farmers," Working Papers 201525, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Food System Research Group.
    15. Zhentong Lu & Kenichi Shimizu, 2025. "Estimating Discrete Choice Demand Models with Sparse Market-Product Shocks," Staff Working Papers 25-10, Bank of Canada.
    16. Peter Davis & Pasquale Schiraldi, 2014. "The flexible coefficient multinomial logit (FC-MNL) model of demand for differentiated products," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 45(1), pages 32-63, March.
    17. Susan Athey & Guido W. Imbens, 2007. "Discrete Choice Models With Multiple Unobserved Choice Characteristics," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 48(4), pages 1159-1192, November.
    18. Lacaze, Maria Victoria & Gonzalez, Julia, "undated". "Implementation of a GAP Label in a Differentiated-Product Industry: A Welfare Evaluation with a Random Coefficients Model for Mar Del Plata, Argentina," 2012 Conference, August 18-24, 2012, Foz do Iguacu, Brazil 126397, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    19. Filistrucchi, L. & Gerardin, D. & van Damme, E.E.C. & Keunen, S. & Klein, T.J. & Michielsen, T.O. & Wileur, J., 2010. "Mergers in Two-Sided Markets - A Report to the NMa," Other publications TiSEM f901d1fe-8878-444e-a685-8, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    20. Kim, Donghun, 2004. "Market Structure, Price Pass-Through and Welfare with Differentiated Products," Research Reports 25157, University of Connecticut, Food Marketing Policy Center.

    More about this item

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:arx:papers:2602.09969. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: arXiv administrators (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://arxiv.org/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.