HOUSEHOLD GROCERY BUDGETS: AN EMPIRICAL EXAMINATION OF ALLOCATION DIFFERENCES ACROSS DIFFERENT HOUSEHOLD TYPES

摘要

The authors empirically examine differences in household grocery budget allocation across different household types. The data originate from an IRI grocery panel made available for academic research, which tracks more than 4,000 panel households' specific purchases of 31 grocery product categories across supermarkets and drug stores, while recording total purchases for all other categories. The analysis in this study pertains to the year 2001. The authors create a household typology of fourteen households based on couple/single household heads, profession of household heads and the presence/absence of children. They then use a modified AIDS (almost ideal demand system) model to measure the impact of different households on grocery budget allocation over the 31 product categories. Total grocery spending, prices, total grocery shopping frequency, and other demographics not taken into account in the formation of the household typology are also taken into consideration.