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• 1. Outlet Substitution Bias in the Canadian Consumer Price Index: A Case Study Archived

  Articles and reports: 62F0014M2005018

  Geography: Canada

  Description:

  Since the early 1990s, increased attention has been focused on the possibility that the rate of inflation may be being overstated as a result of measurement biases in the estimation of the Consumer Price Index (CPI). One source of this possible error is caused by outlet substitution bias. This type of distortion can result when consumers shift their patronage from one retail outlet to another. As superstores and warehouse type stores continue to open and capture a larger share of the market, the existing CPI sample could become increasingly unrepresentative. If the prices are lower at the new outlets and this decrease in costs is not accurately captured in the CPI, the index will exhibit an upward bias.

  Release date: 2006-05-10

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• 2. Item Selection and Quality Change in the Canadian Consumer Price Index Archived

  Articles and reports: 62F0014M1998012

  Geography: Canada

  Description:

  This paper examines the methods of adjustment for quality change made in the Canadian Consumer Price Index for the period 1989 to 1994. It finds that in most cases the current Canadian practice ensures that the replacement of one commodity by another, one variety of a commodity by another, or one outlet by another, has no impact on the overall index. The main exceptions to this result occur when replacing varieties of commodities that are purchased only occasionally, and a judgement is made that the quality ratio between the old and new variety is not the same as the ratio of their prices. In these cases there is an impact on the index, up or down, depending on whether the change in price reported is higher or lower than the change in quality. From the experience of the CPI in these six years there has been a correlation between the price ratio of a variety and its replacement and the index movement that derives from the judgement. The direction and size of the impact on the index depends largely on whether an item is replaced with a higher or lower priced item. For these reasons, the paper argues that more attention should be paid to ensuring that the item selection is more representative of current sales than has traditionally been the case.

  Release date: 1999-05-13

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• 1. Outlet Substitution Bias in the Canadian Consumer Price Index: A Case Study Archived

  Articles and reports: 62F0014M2005018

  Geography: Canada

  Description:

  Since the early 1990s, increased attention has been focused on the possibility that the rate of inflation may be being overstated as a result of measurement biases in the estimation of the Consumer Price Index (CPI). One source of this possible error is caused by outlet substitution bias. This type of distortion can result when consumers shift their patronage from one retail outlet to another. As superstores and warehouse type stores continue to open and capture a larger share of the market, the existing CPI sample could become increasingly unrepresentative. If the prices are lower at the new outlets and this decrease in costs is not accurately captured in the CPI, the index will exhibit an upward bias.

  Release date: 2006-05-10

  ---

• 2. Item Selection and Quality Change in the Canadian Consumer Price Index Archived

  Articles and reports: 62F0014M1998012

  Geography: Canada

  Description:

  This paper examines the methods of adjustment for quality change made in the Canadian Consumer Price Index for the period 1989 to 1994. It finds that in most cases the current Canadian practice ensures that the replacement of one commodity by another, one variety of a commodity by another, or one outlet by another, has no impact on the overall index. The main exceptions to this result occur when replacing varieties of commodities that are purchased only occasionally, and a judgement is made that the quality ratio between the old and new variety is not the same as the ratio of their prices. In these cases there is an impact on the index, up or down, depending on whether the change in price reported is higher or lower than the change in quality. From the experience of the CPI in these six years there has been a correlation between the price ratio of a variety and its replacement and the index movement that derives from the judgement. The direction and size of the impact on the index depends largely on whether an item is replaced with a higher or lower priced item. For these reasons, the paper argues that more attention should be paid to ensuring that the item selection is more representative of current sales than has traditionally been the case.

  Release date: 1999-05-13

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