New products driving up prices, impacting cost of living index.
The article examines how product turnover affects the cost of living index. Using data from Japan, the researchers found that new products tend to have higher prices and quantities than their predecessors. They also discovered that there is a significant fashion effect, with demand for new products driving prices up. Over time, the quality effect on prices is decreasing. Despite these factors, the difference between the cost-of-living index and a price index is not substantial.