DEMAND THRESHOLD,ZERO EXPENDITURE AND HIERARCHICAL MODEL OF CONSUMER DEMAND

Consumer expenditure surveys often show households reporting zero consumption of some commodities. Three reasons for this are recognized in the literature: (i) infrequency of purchase, (ii) a strong brand preference for differentiated products and (iii) misreporting. However, sometimes the number of households reporting zero consumption is seen to decline with income. To capture this phenomenon, which does not fall into any of the categories mentioned above, we propose a hierarchical preference structure and identify a class of recursive utility functions representing this structure. An empirical illustration based on Indian consumer expenditure data is provided.     

Time as a Direct Source of Utility: The Case of Price Information Search for Groceries

A “joint production” model that combines aspects of household production and the economics of information is formulated to explain variation in time spent in price information search for groceries by dual earner households. Enjoyment of search time, a psychological variable, is incorporated into the model. Empirical estimation using grocery expenditure data indicates that enjoyment, income, age, the price of search time, presence of young and teenage children, daily use of a microwave oven, and the percentage of a market basket filled with name brand items are significant factors in explaining variation in time spent in price information search.     

The value of household life cycle variables in consumer expenditure research: An empirical examination

We examine why studies reach contradictory conclusions concerning the value of the household life cycle model as a predictive tool in consumer expenditure research. Using a database of roughly 14,000 Canadian households, we find that household life cycle variables do not generally enhance prediction over a more parsimonious model containing a basic set of socioeconomic and demographic variables, even when comparing less aggregated to more aggregated expenditure categories. However, they do enhance prediction for categories that are defined such that the typical users of the category fall into a fairly narrow age range. The theoretical and applied significance of our findings are discussed and directions for future research are offered. Copyright © 2007 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Food Expenditure and Nutrient Availability in Elderly Households

A model of food expenditure and nutrient consumption is developed and estimated using the data from the elderly supplemental survey to the 1977–78 USDA Nationwide Food Consumption Survey. Results provide strong evidence that elderly households make concurrent decisions on food budgets and nutritional needs. In addition to other socioeconomic and demographic factors, the Food Stamp Program has had significant impact on food expenditure and nutritional well-being of elderly households.     

消费品中化学物质暴露模型研究概况

消费品作为人类生活必需品,其化学安全已引起广泛关注。各国相关机构高度重视消费品中有害化学物质暴露引起的健康问题,研发了一系列消费者暴露模型,包括常规模型和计算机软件模型。而我国由于起步较晚,在模型研究领域还处于初级阶段。基于我国对消费品中化学物质有效暴露模型的迫切需求,本文概述了暴露评估方法及暴露模型在暴露评估中的作用,综述了国内外暴露模型和消费者暴露模型的研究概况,以及现有的暴露模型和参数设置。以期对我国相关暴露评估人员在进行消费品暴露评估时在模型选择及模型构建方面提供参考和指导,推进我国在消费者暴露评估领域的发展。     

Culture and consumption expenditure patterns: comparison between Korean and United States households

Abstract The purpose of this study was to identify household consumption expenditure patterns in the US and to determine if these patterns are different from those of Korean households. Data were cluster analysed, and the results revealed four different consumption expenditure patterns for US and Korean households. Logit analysis showed that consumption expenditure patterns of households in both countries are likely to vary depending on socioeconomic factors. Similarities and differences in consumption expenditure patterns between cultures are discussed, and implications are provided.     

Domestic fuel expenditure and payment of fuel allowances

The allocation of additional requirements for heating to households on supplementary benefit (SB) has been challenged recently. Some households receiving an addition spend less on fuel than others which do not. The fuel expenditure of any household on SB is likely to be constrained by income and may reflect ability to pay rather than need. A group of households with zero or close to zero income elasticity for fuel expenditure is identified. The expenditure on fuel of these households can be considered not to be constrained by income and to reflect the real costs of maintaining a warm home in given circumstances. Their expenditure is then used to indicate how fuel allowances might be better targeted.     

Poverty status and expenditure patterns: comparison between elderly and non-elderly households

The purpose of this study was to find out if significant differences exist in patterns of expenditures between elderly and non-elderly consumers, taking poverty status into account. Cluster analysis was used to identify expenditure patterns. Four different expenditure patterns were found. Elderly middle-income and affluent households were more likely to belong to service-using cluster than non-elderly poor households. Nonelderly households were more likely to belong to shelter-dominated cluster than elderly households. Poor households were more likely to belong to homebound cluster, while non-poor households were more likely to belong to car-centred cluster.     

Expenditure patterns on food and non food items of Khayelitsha households,Western Cape,South Africa

Food insecurity or lack of access to adequate and nutritious food is a major determinant of under‐nutrition. Expenditure patterns accompanied by unemployment, low level of education, inflation and high food prices have a direct negative impact on food availability within households (Moller, 1997). Ghany and Schwenk (1993) found that as household income increases, the proportion of expenditures on food decreases, the proportion of expenditures on clothing, rent, fuel, and light stayed the same and that of sundries increased. The aim of this study was to investigate household expenditure patterns on food and non‐food items in Khayelitsha. A total of 20 households (10 from the formal and 10 from the informal settlements) were randomly selected from those willing to participate in the study. A questionnaire with open ended and closed questions was used to collect data. The questionnaire comprised four sections namely: biographical information, socio‐economic information which used wealth quintiles to assess households’ social economic status, total expenditure information and a food/hunger scale was used to assess households’ food availability. The findings revealed that households from informal settlements spent more money (62.2%) as a proportion of their income on food compared to households from the formal settlement (39%). There was higher unemployment rate (100%) at the informal settlement compared to the formal settlement (40%). Wealth quintiles scales did not reflect the social status of the households as equipment and assets owned by households were only used as fallback position during times of economic hardships. Households used different purchasing strategies; food and non‐food items were mainly purchased from outside the township (60%). Forty percent of the households bought their items from local shops and spazas because they allowed them to buy items whenever little money was available or to take items on credit. All the respondents preferred to buy bread and small items from spazas and local shops. Prices of items in the spazas and local shops were higher compared to prices of items in bigger shops outside the townships. The food/hunger scale and wealth quintiles showed that informal settlement households were more food insecure (as they were all unemployed and about 50% of the households ran out of food always) and had fewer assets compared to the formal settlement households. The implications of these findings underscore the need to improve socio‐economic conditions of low resource households through empowerment programs. These programs can be in the form of training in management/decision making, work related skills/literacy (to help them access formal employment), business management/income generation skills (to help them to be self‐employed), budgeting, and food gardening. This approach can help to increase the resource base and alleviate food insecurity in low resource households.     

Technological tying and the intensity of price competition: An empirical analysis of the video game industry

Using data from the 128-bit video game industry I evaluate the impact technologically tying has on the intensity of console price competition and the incentives for hardware firms to tie their produced software to their hardware. Tying occurs when a console hardware manufacturer produces software that is incompatible with rival hardware. There are two important trade-offs an integrated firm faces when implementing a technological tie. The first is an effect that increases console market power and forces hardware prices higher. The second, an effect due to the integration of the firm, drives prices lower. A counterfactual exercise determines technological tying of hardware and software increases console price competition; console makers subsidize consumer hardware purchases in order to increase video games sales, in particular their tied games, where the greatest proportion of industry profits are made. I also determine technological tying to be a dominant strategy for hardware manufacturers when software development costs are low.     

驱动桥疲劳性能试验系统设计及研究

介绍了驱动桥疲劳性能试验方法,设计了驱动桥疲劳性能试验台,包括动力系统、液压系统、气动系统、惯量模拟组件和计算机测控系统等;对驱动桥疲劳性能试验台计算机测控系统软硬件进行了研究,设计了基于工控机总线结构的计算机控制系统,给出了硬件设计和系统软件方案;介绍了驱动桥疲劳性能测试的一般试验流程,并进行了性能试验。     

政府公共文化支出对家庭文化消费的影响研究——基于中国家庭追踪调查的分析

政府在促进文化消费中发挥重要作用。基于中国家庭追踪调查(CFPS)2014年和2016年的家庭经济数据,利用Tobit模型实证分析了政府公共文化支出对家庭文化消费的影响,以及该影响在城镇和农村家庭、不同收入水平家庭中表现出的异质性。研究表明:政府公共文化支出增加有助于提高家庭文娱支出占比,且在缩尾处理和更换关键变量的稳健性检验中,核心结论仍然成立;但是,政府公共文化支出对文化消费的挤入效应主要局限于城镇家庭及中低收入家庭,对农村家庭、低收入和中高收入家庭的刺激作用不显著。应继续扩大文化事业财政支出规模,优化公共文化服务资源配置,重点扶持农村文化娱乐消费,同时提高文化产品和服务供给质量。     

基于凯恩斯消费函数的中美消费差异实证分析

本文将1986—2005年中国、美国消费与收入的相关数据与凯恩斯绝对收入假说理论进行了实证分析,对计量模型进行了参数估计和检验,通过建立居民的消费收入模型,得出了我国居民平均边际消费倾向低于美国居民的结论,并对如何鼓励消费政策提出了相应政策建议。     

Old-Young Differences in Consumer Expenditure Patterns

It has been claimed that transfer payments to retired people reduce aggregate private saving. In their attempts to understand this issue, some writers have called for additional research to clarify the spending behavior of the older and younger households. The present paper uses regression analysis to examine the old-young differences in expenditure patterns as revealed by the 1972–73 BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey. With data limitations noted, the findings suggest that, for consumer units headed by older (65+) and younger (<65) persons, the marginal and average propensities to spend relative to after-tax income were virtually the same when estimated at the mean values of their respective characteristics, such as after-tax income and family size. The statistical model utilized also suggests that, if given the older units' mean values for these characteristics, the younger group would have exhibited higher propensities to spend than the older.     

The Moderating Effect of Seasonality on Household Apparel Expenditure

This research explores if and how seasonality moderates the effect of consumer characteristics on household per capita expenditure for apparel. The Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression analysis was based on quarterly micropanel data from the Continuing Consumer Expenditure Survey. The results confirmed that seasonality moderates the relationship between consumer characteristics and per capita apparel expenditure: the income elasticity of apparel expenditure varied by season as did the effects of age, ethnicity, household size, region, and housing tenure.     

替代还是互补?——中国政府消费与居民消费关系实证分析

政府消费与居民消费的关系不仅是财政理论需要关注的重要问题,同时也影响到政府公共预算的合理性以及公众福利的改善。基于代表性消费者均衡模型,利用11个省份的面板数据分析政府消费与居民消费的关系及其影响程度。对面板数据的单位根检验和协整分析表明:中国的政府消费对居民消费产生长期替代效应,替代系数为1.04～1.44;进一步分析省际的替代系数也验证了中国政府消费对居民消费的替代效应。由此给出的政策意义是,节制政府消费支出,国民收入分配应更多地向居民倾斜,同时通过减税和加大转移支付力度等方式提高居民的消费倾向。     

A Model of Household Grocery Shopping Behavior

The shopping trip to the grocery store is one of the most basic elements of consumer behavior. The authors seek to provide an understanding of the factors that account for variations in shopping behavior across households. They present a model of shopping behavior that assumes that households seek to minimize the travel cost associated with shopping and the cost of holding goods in inventory. As in the classic EOQ model, observed shopping behavior reflects the manner in which households balance these costs while meeting their consumption needs. A number of propositions derived from the model are tested using data on shopping trips made by households over a one-year period. The results support the model and indicate that the relationship between household characteristics and shopping behavior can be fairly complex: for some households shopping may have a recreational aspect while for others it may compete directly with wage-earning activity.     

Gendered consumer competences in households with one vs. two adults1

Consumption is gendered. Some markets can be described as female‐dominated, while others can be described as male‐dominated consumer areas. The departure of this article is observed gender differences in consumer competences, measured by men and women's self‐reported efforts to stay informed on different markets. Three central gender research hypotheses are applied to investigate the observed gender differences in consumer competences. Nowadays, modern consumer markets are characterized by abundance, complexity and rapid changes, making it hardly possible for any consumer to master all markets he or she operates in. Because very much of the consumption takes place within the households, it should be convenient to live in a household with two adult persons who can share responsibilities and stay informed on the different segments of the markets. However, many households consist of only one adult person. Our main concern has been to investigate whether the observed gender differences in consumer competences could be explained by the specializing hypothesis, i.e. that the gendered pattern relies on a gendered division of consumer competences within couple households; in other words, that gender differences in consumer competences among single‐person households should be absent, or significantly lower, than among couple households. In case we would not find support for the specializing hypothesis, two other probable explanations are also put forward: the traditional gender difference hypothesis and the selection hypothesis. These three hypotheses are tested in a data material based on 2000 telephone interviews from the SIFO survey, collected in 2007.     

The consumer logistics system: a focal point for study of the household-consumption process

Consumer logistics provides a fresh perspective for the study of household consumption. As consuming households participate in the distribution of products and services, they engage in consumer logistics — the movement and handling of goods and people that is performed by consumers to facilitate consumption. This article characterizes the consumer logistics system in conceptual fashion to provide a basis for future research into the structure and process of consumer logistics at the household level. It then illustrates the system through a model of the consumer logistics process based on empirical evidence, and finally provides implications of this conceptual development for consumer studies research.     

Education and the empowerment of women in household decision‐making in Spain

It was analysed whether investment in the education of both women and men serves to empower wives resulting in more balanced household decisions being taken on matters related to consumption and financial management. They considered that household decision‐making could be made by mainly the wife, mainly the husband or the couple acting jointly. They then applied multinomial probit models to the Spanish Living Conditions Survey of 2010. Results show that, when controlling for demographic, family and labour market characteristics, the level of education of both the husband and wife has a positive effect in terms of a more egalitarian decision‐making process in relation to three areas of expenditure: daily shopping, expensive purchases of consumer durables and significant expenditure on children. However, only women's education has a positive effect on borrowing money and no effect of education is observed with regard to the use of savings. Results are less conclusive for households where decisions are taken primarily by the wife or husband, since men's education increases the role of husbands in the household making‐decision process whereas no effect of wives' education is observed.