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Is mobility a good proxy for economic activity?

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  • Cepparulo, Brian

Abstract

This paper documents the relationship between mobility and economic activity, employing a unique longitudinal dataset of transactions to proxy spending at both country and local level in the United Kingdom. I disaggregate online and in-store spending, and employ fixed effects and panel vector autoregression models. In doing so, I demonstrate that retail and recreational mobility is a reliable proxy for in-store spending. Moreover, no correlation is found between online shopping and mobility, suggesting that online shopping does not substitute for in-store spending, even when the latter is legislatively constrained.

Suggested Citation

  • Cepparulo, Brian, 2023. "Is mobility a good proxy for economic activity?," Greenwich Papers in Political Economy 45165, University of Greenwich, Greenwich Political Economy Research Centre.
    • Handle: RePEc:gpe:wpaper:45165
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    File URL: https://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/45165/7/CAPPARULO_45165_Is_mobility_a_good_proxy_for_economic_activity.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • C21 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Cross-Sectional Models; Spatial Models; Treatment Effect Models
    • C22 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Time-Series Models; Dynamic Quantile Regressions; Dynamic Treatment Effect Models; Diffusion Processes
    • C55 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Large Data Sets: Modeling and Analysis
    • L81 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Retail and Wholesale Trade; e-Commerce
    • R12 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity; Interregional Trade (economic geography)

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