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Micro Price Dynamics during Japan's Lost Decades

Author

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  • Nao Sudo
  • Kozo Ueda
  • Kota Watanabe

Abstract

We study micro price dynamics and their macroeconomic implications using daily scanner data from 1988 to 2013. We provide five facts. First, posted prices in Japan are ten times as flexible as those in the U.S. scanner data. Second, regular prices are almost as flexible as those in the U.S. and Euro area. Third, the heterogeneity of frequency and size of price change across products is sizable and maintained throughout the sample period. Fourth, during Japan's lost decades, temporary sales have played an increasingly important role in households' consumption expenditure. Fifth, the frequency of upward regular price revisions and the frequency of sales are significantly correlated with the macroeconomic environment in particular indicators associated with a labor market while other components of price changes are not.

Suggested Citation

  • Nao Sudo & Kozo Ueda & Kota Watanabe, 2013. "Micro Price Dynamics during Japan's Lost Decades," CAMA Working Papers 2013-63, Centre for Applied Macroeconomic Analysis, Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University.
    • Handle: RePEc:een:camaaa:2013-63
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    Cited by:

    1. Yoshiyuki Kurachi & Kazuhiro Hiraki & Shinichi Nishioka, 2016. "Does a Higher Frequency of Micro-level Price Changes Matter for Macro Price Stickiness?: Assessing the Impact of Temporary Price Changes," Bank of Japan Working Paper Series 16-E-9, Bank of Japan.
    2. Nao Sudo & Kozo Ueda & Kota Watanabe & Tsutomu Watanabe, 2018. "Working Less and Bargain Hunting More: Macroimplications of Sales during Japan's Lost Decades," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 50(2-3), pages 449-478, March.
    3. Shoji, Toshiaki, 2022. "Menu costs and information rigidity: Evidence from the consumption tax hike in Japan," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    4. Takatoshi Ito & Kazumasa Iwata & Colin McKenzie & Shujiro Urata & Tsutomu Watanabe, 2014. "Japan's Persistent Deflation and Monetary Policy: Editors' Overview," Asian Economic Policy Review, Japan Center for Economic Research, vol. 9(1), pages 1-19, January.
    5. Kota Watanabe & Tsutomu Watanabe, 2014. "We construct a Törnqvist daily price index using Japanese point of sale (POS) scannerdata spanning from 1988 to 2013. We find the following. First, the POS based inflation rate tends to be about 0.5 ," CARF F-Series CARF-F-342, Center for Advanced Research in Finance, Faculty of Economics, The University of Tokyo.
    6. Ueda, Kozo, 2020. "Dynamic cost of living index for storable goods," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 189(C).
    7. Ko Munakata & Takeshi Shinohara & Shigenori Shiratsuka & Nao Sudo & Tsutomu Watanabe, 2023. "On the Source of Seasonality in Price Changes: The Role of Seasonality in Menu Costs," IMES Discussion Paper Series 23-E-07, Institute for Monetary and Economic Studies, Bank of Japan.
    8. Giulietti, Monica & Otero, Jesús & Waterson, Michael, 2020. "Rigidities and adjustments of daily prices to costs: Evidence from supermarket data," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    9. Kozo Ueda & Kota Watanabe & Tsutomu Watanabe, 2018. "Product Turnover and the Cost of Living Index: Quality vs. Fashion Effects," Globalization Institute Working Papers 337, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.
    10. Kozo Ueda & Kota Watanabe & Tsutomu Watanabe, 2021. "Household Inventory, Temporary Sales, and Price Indices," Working Papers on Central Bank Communication 033, University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Economics.
    11. Kota Watanabe & Tsutomu Watanabe, 2014. "Estimating Daily Inflation Using Scanner Data: A Progress Report," UTokyo Price Project Working Paper Series 020, University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Economics.
    12. Kozo Ueda & Kota Watanabe & Tsutomu Watanabe, 2020. "Consumer Inventory and the Cost of Living Index: Theory and Some Evidence from Japan," Working Papers on Central Bank Communication 025, University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Economics.
    13. Jouchi Nakajima & Masato Takahashi & Tomoyuki Yagi, "undated". "An Assessment of Online Consumption Trends in Japan during the COVID-19 Pandemic," Bank of Japan Working Paper Series 22-E-11, Bank of Japan.
    14. Kosuke Aoki, 2014. "Comment on “Micro Price Dynamics during Japan's Lost Decades”," Asian Economic Policy Review, Japan Center for Economic Research, vol. 9(1), pages 65-66, January.
    15. Kozo Ueda & Kota Watanabe & Tsutomu Watanabe, 2016. "Product Turnover and Deflation: Evidence from Japan," CARF F-Series CARF-F-400, Center for Advanced Research in Finance, Faculty of Economics, The University of Tokyo.
    16. Ko Munakata & Takeshi Shinohara & Shigenori Shiratsuka & Nao Sudo & Tsutomu Watanabe, 2023. "On the Source of Seasonality in Price Changes: The Role of Seasonality in Menu Costs," IMES Discussion Paper Series 23-E-07, Institute for Monetary and Economic Studies, Bank of Japan.
    17. Tack Yun, 2014. "Comment on “Micro Price Dynamics during Japan's Lost Decades”," Asian Economic Policy Review, Japan Center for Economic Research, vol. 9(1), pages 67-68, January.
    18. Abe, Naohito & Moriguchi, Chiaki & Inakura, Noriko, 2014. "The Impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake on Commodity Prices: New Evidence from High-Frequency Scanner Data," Research Center for Price Dynamics Working Paper Series 12, Research Center for Price Dynamics, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    19. Sohei Kaihatsu & Mitsuru Katagiri & Noriyuki Shiraki, 2017. "Phillips Curve and Price-Change Distribution under Declining Trend Inflation," Bank of Japan Working Paper Series 17-E-5, Bank of Japan.
    20. Sohei Kaihatsu & Mitsuru Katagiri & Noriyuki Shiraki, 2023. "Phillips Correlation and Price‐Change Distributions under Declining Trend Inflation," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 55(5), pages 1271-1305, August.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Lost decade; deflation; temporary sales; regular prices; scanner data; price stickiness;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E3 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles
    • E31 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Price Level; Inflation; Deflation
    • E5 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit

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