Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

This dissertation is an empirical study of demand and supply in differentiated products markets using supermarket scanner data on two particular product categories - canned tuna and hot-breakfast cereals. First, I study the impact of retailers' price promotions on consumer demand and retailer profits in the canned-tuna product category. Since canned tuna is storable, I examine whether consumers stock up during sales. The results suggest that only a limited amount of stockpiling exists in this product category. Since inventory is not very important, consumer demand is thus modeled by a static demand model with a random-coefficients-nested-logit specification, which is estimated by the Markov Chain Monte Carlo method. The unit-sales decomposition results show that on average 36% of the demand response to price promotions comes from brand-switching, so market expansion effects due to consumers switching from the outside good and to higher quantities usually dominate the brand-switching effect. Using the demand estimates, I compute optimal retail prices assuming that stores are local monopolists and choose prices to maximize static category-level profits. I find that regular prices at "high-low" stores are typically at or slightly below the optimal prices, but that regular prices at "every-day-low-price" stores are substantially below the optimal prices. These results suggest that retail price levels and price promotions are more likely related to local market conditions such as retail competition. In addition, I study the effects of store-brand (SB) entry on the demand elasticities of incumbent national brands (NB), consumers' substitution patterns for national and store brands, and the implications for consumer welfare in the hot-breakfast-cereals product category. A random-coefficients model of consumer demand is estimated by the generalized-method-of-moments approach. The empirical findings are: (1) After the entry of SB's, demand becomes more elastic for non-imitated NB's, and either more elastic or shows no change for imitated NB's; (2) in general, substitution patterns for NB's and SB's are asymmetric, i.e., when the prices of their favorite products increase, most NB buyers tend to substitute to other NB products, but SB buyers will substitute to the corresponding imitated NB's; (3) the increase in consumer surplus due to SB entry is trivial for an individual consumer, but the aggregate benefit could be quite substantial.

2010年台灣經濟成長率創新高，然貧富差距卻是台灣面臨最大問題之一，為避免大眾不良觀感，行政院乃針對高價服務、商品或交易，研議特種銷售稅，即通稱之「奢侈稅」，並於2011年通過與施行「特種貨物及勞務稅條例」。各國採行特種銷售稅種類繁多，課徵目的、稅率各有不同。究竟我國課徵奢侈稅制度與他國制度有何不同? 課徵奢侈稅效果為何?此為本研究主要動機。 本研究針對上述問題，採文獻分析與深度訪談法，進行深入的分析與探討。經實證分析發現：（1）主要國家課徵奢侈稅，課徵項目與目的各異。（2）解決不動產飆漲問題，多管齊下多重效果。（3）透過交易稅抑制投機，短空長多。（4）國際間相互依存，政府政策相互影響。（5）資訊透明化是決定市場機制能否發揮功效之關鍵之一。（6）不動產市場存在三種價格，阻礙不動產市場發展，更違反社會正義。（7）我國房價高漲主因財產稅稅負偏低。 / Although economic growth in Taiwan hit an all-time high in 2010, the gap between the rich and the poor has become one of Taiwan’s most serious issues. The Executive Yuan, in an effort to avoid negative public perceptions, held deliberations on a special sales tax for high-priced services, goods and trade, also commonly known as a “luxury tax”. The “Specifically Selected Goods and Services Tax Act” was sent to the Legislative Yuan for review 2011. Countries around the world have implemented many kinds of special sales tax. Such taxes differ in regard to their intended purpose and imposed rate. Exactly how does Taiwan’s imposed luxury tax differ from those of other countries? What has been the result of imposing the luxury tax in Taiwan? Finding out the answers to these two questions is the primary objective of this paper. This study conducted literature analysis and in-depth analys. Through the empirical analysis we found that: (1) The items and reasons for taxing should be considered separately. (2) In addressing the issue of soaring real estate prices, multi-pronged approaches bring multiple results. (3) Transaction taxes to control speculation result in short-term pain, but long-term gain. (4) Because of the interdependent nature of nations, the government policies of a given nation influence other nations. (5) information transparency is a key factor in deciding whether or not market mechanisms can be effectively leveraged. (6) the existence of three different prices in the real estate market is a barrier to the development of the market and, more importantly, violates the principles of social justice. (7) the main reason behind the rocketing price of housing in Taiwan is the low property tax burden.