NEW EVIDENCE ON OUTLET SUBSTITUTION EFFECTS IN CONSUMER PRICE INDEX DATA

摘要

In this paper we provide new evidence on the impact on the U.S. CPI of the appearance and growth of new types of product outlets. Our CPI food microdata permit a more detailed categorization of outlet types than in previous studies, and we can adjust for numerous differences in item characteristics. We also examine the effects of changes in outlet mix not only across outlet categories but also within those categories. In our sample, we find that the upward impact on price from increased item quality has offset most, but not all, of the downward impact of lower-priced outlets.