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(S,s) inventory policies in general equilibrium

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  • Jonas D. M. Fisher
  • Andreas Hornstein

Abstract

We study the aggregate implications of (S,s) inventory policies in a dynamic general equilibrium model. Firms in the model's retail sector face idiosyncratic demand risk, and (S,s) inventory policies are optimal because of fixed order costs. The model economy replicates salient features of the business cycle and reconciles evidence that orders are more volatile than sales, and that inventory investment is positively correlated with sales. There are two main results. First, we find that general equilibrium effects and the optimal order size are important for the economy's response to exogenous shocks. Second, we find that key features of our results are independent of the presence of idiosyncratic risk.

Suggested Citation

  • Jonas D. M. Fisher & Andreas Hornstein, 1995. "(S,s) inventory policies in general equilibrium," Discussion Paper / Institute for Empirical Macroeconomics 104, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedmem:104
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Inventories;

    JEL classification:

    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • D50 - Microeconomics - - General Equilibrium and Disequilibrium - - - General
    • D58 - Microeconomics - - General Equilibrium and Disequilibrium - - - Computable and Other Applied General Equilibrium Models

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