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Multi-Product Pricing: Theory and Evidence from Large Retailers in Israel

Author

Listed:
  • Marco Bonomo
  • Carlos Carvalho
  • Oleksiy Kryvtsov
  • Sigal Ribon
  • Rodolfo Rigato

Abstract

Standard theories of price adjustment are based on the problem of a single-product firm, and therefore they may not be well suited to analyze price dynamics in the economy with multiproduct firms. To guide new theory, we study a unique dataset with comprehensive coverage of daily prices in large multi-product food retailers in Israel. We find that a typical retail store synchronizes its regular price changes around occasional “peak" days when, once or twice a month, it reprices around 10% of its products. To assess the implications of partial price synchronization for inflation dynamics, we develop a new price-setting model in which a firm sells a continuum of products and faces economies of scope in price adjustment. The model generates the partial synchronization pattern with peaks of re-pricing activity observed in the data. We show analytically and numerically that synchronization of price changes attenuates the average price response to a monetary shock; however, only high degrees of synchronization can materially strengthen monetary non-neutrality. Hence, the synchronization of price changes observed in the data is consistent with considerable aggregate price flexibility.

Suggested Citation

  • Marco Bonomo & Carlos Carvalho & Oleksiy Kryvtsov & Sigal Ribon & Rodolfo Rigato, 2020. "Multi-Product Pricing: Theory and Evidence from Large Retailers in Israel," Staff Working Papers 20-12, Bank of Canada.
    • Handle: RePEc:bca:bocawp:20-12
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    12. Yuriy Gorodnichenko & Viacheslav Sheremirov & Oleksandr Talavera, 2018. "Price Setting in Online Markets: Does IT Click?," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 16(6), pages 1764-1811.
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    19. Pinelopi K. Goldberg & Rebecca Hellerstein, 2009. "How rigid are producer prices?," Staff Reports 407, Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
    20. Fernando Alvarez & Hervé Le Bihan & Francesco Lippi, 2016. "The Real Effects of Monetary Shocks in Sticky Price Models: A Sufficient Statistic Approach," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 106(10), pages 2817-2851, October.
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    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Strasser, Georg & Wieland, Elisabeth & Macias, Paweł & Błażejowska, Aneta & Szafranek, Karol & Wittekopf, David & Franke, Jörn & Henkel, Lukas & Osbat, Chiara, 2023. "E-commerce and price setting: evidence from Europe," Occasional Paper Series 320, European Central Bank.
    2. Hong, Gee Hee & Klepacz, Matthew & Pasten, Ernesto & Schoenle, Raphael, 2023. "The real effects of monetary shocks: Evidence from micro pricing moments," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 1-20.
    3. Wilko Letterie & Øivind A. Nilsen, 2022. "Pricing Behaviour and Menu Costs in Multi‐product Firms," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 89(355), pages 746-769, July.
    4. Yang, Choongryul, 2022. "Rational inattention, menu costs, and multi-product firms: Micro evidence and aggregate implications," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 105-123.
    5. Nilsen, Øivind A. & Skuterud, Håvard & Webster, Ingeborg Munthe-Kaas, 2021. "Price change synchronization within and between firms," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 208(C).
    6. Dedola, Luca & Ehrmann, Michael & Hoffmann, Peter & Lamo, Ana & Paz-Pardo, Gonzalo & Slacalek, Jiri & Strasser, Georg, 2023. "Digitalisation and the economy," Working Paper Series 2809, European Central Bank.
    7. Karadi, Peter & Schoenle, Raphael & Wursten, Jesse, 2020. "Measuring Price Selection in Microdata - It's Not There," CEPR Discussion Papers 15383, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    8. Carvalho, Carlos & Kryvtsov, Oleksiy, 2021. "Price selection," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 56-75.
    9. Nicoletta Berardi & Federico Ravenna & Mario Samano, 2020. "Everyday Regular Prices," Working papers 746, Banque de France.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Inflation and prices; Market structure and pricing; Monetary Policy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D21 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Theory
    • D22 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Empirical Analysis
    • E31 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Price Level; Inflation; Deflation
    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy
    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms

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