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The importance of attractive prices in pricing dynamics

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  • Aalto-Setälä, Ville
  • Schindler, Robert M.

Abstract

Nominal rigidities have an important role in macro models used for the analysis of monetary policy.Recently, attractive prices (also known as price points) have often been referred to as one important potential explanation of nominal rigidities.An increased interest on attractive prices as an explanation for price rigidities rests on online pricing, in the context of which it has been shown that prices are rigid also on the internet, where physical costs are not important.Our empirical analyses using micro data on consumer prices in Finland indicate that a specific form of attractive prices 9-ending prices have a considerable effect on pricing dynamics.The results of the study show that changes to prices with 9 endings are more often decreases than are changes to prices with other endings.Price changes to 9-ending prices are also of smaller size than are changes to other endings.

Suggested Citation

  • Aalto-Setälä, Ville & Schindler, Robert M., 2006. "The importance of attractive prices in pricing dynamics," Bank of Finland Research Discussion Papers 30/2006, Bank of Finland.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:bofrdp:rdp2006_030
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    rigidity; price endings; attractive prices; 9-prices;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E42 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Monetary Sytsems; Standards; Regimes; Government and the Monetary System
    • D01 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Microeconomic Behavior: Underlying Principles

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