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Price Setting on the Two Sides of the Atlantic: Evidence from Supermarket-Scanner Data

Author

Listed:
  • Karadi, Peter
  • Amann, Juergen
  • Sánchez Bachiller, Javier
  • Seiler, Pascal
  • Wursten, Jesse

Abstract

We compare supermarket price setting in the US and the euro area and assess its impact on food inflation. We introduce a novel scanner dataset of Germany, the Netherlands, France, and Italy (EA4) and contrast it with an equivalent dataset from the US. We find that both higher frequency and stronger state dependence of price changes contribute to higher flexibility of supermarket inflation in the US relative to the euro area. We argue that the driving force behind both factors is higher cross-sectional volatility in the US. Larger product-level fluctuations both force retailers to adjust prices more frequently and increase price misalignments, which increase the selection of large price changes. Both facts are well represented by a mildly state-dependent price-setting model, and they jointly explain over a third of the difference in food-inflation volatility between the US and the euro area as well as around a third of the difference between the inflation responses to the COVID-19 shock in Germany and Italy.

Suggested Citation

  • Karadi, Peter & Amann, Juergen & Sánchez Bachiller, Javier & Seiler, Pascal & Wursten, Jesse, 2023. "Price Setting on the Two Sides of the Atlantic: Evidence from Supermarket-Scanner Data," CEPR Discussion Papers 18126, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:18126
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    1. is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Bušs, Ginters & Traficante, Guido, 2025. "The Return of Inflation: Look-Through Policy Under Incomplete Information," Dynare Working Papers 85, CEPREMAP.
    3. Lukas Hack & Davud Rostam-Afschar, 2025. "Which Macroeconomic News Matters for Price-Setting?," CESifo Working Paper Series 12215, CESifo.
    4. Eduardo Gutiérrez Chacón & Pau Roldan Blanco, 2024. "The inflationary spike in Spain between 2021 and 2023: evidence from micro data," Economic Bulletin, Banco de España, issue 2024/Q1.
    5. Fernando Martins & João Quelhas, 2024. "Consumer Price-Setting Behaviour:Evidence from Food CPI Microdata," Working Papers REM 2024/0345, ISEG - Lisbon School of Economics and Management, REM, Universidade de Lisboa.
    6. Alberto Cavallo & Francesco Lippi & Ken Miyahara, 2024. "Large Shocks Travel Fast," American Economic Review: Insights, American Economic Association, vol. 6(4), pages 558-574, December.
    7. Beck, Günter W. & Carstensen, Kai & Menz, Jan-Oliver & Schnorrenberger, Richard & Wieland, Elisabeth, 2023. "Nowcasting consumer price inflation using high-frequency scanner data: Evidence from Germany," Discussion Papers 34/2023, Deutsche Bundesbank.
    8. Luca Dedola & Erwan Gautier & Chiara Osbat & Sergio Santoro, 2024. "Price Stickiness in the Euro Area," Working papers 958, Banque de France.
    9. Nickel, Christiane & Kilponen, Juha & Moral-Benito, Enrique & Koester, Gerrit & Ciccarelli, Matteo & Enders, Almira & Holton, Sarah & Landau, Bettina & Venditti, Fabrizio & Bobeica, Elena & Brand, Cla, 2025. "A strategic view on the economic and inflation environment in the euro area," Occasional Paper Series 371, European Central Bank.

    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • E31 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Price Level; Inflation; Deflation
    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy
    • F44 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - International Business Cycles

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