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Decomposing firm-product appeal: how important is consumer taste?

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  • Bee Yan Aw
  • Yi Lee
  • Hylke Vandenbussche

Abstract

We develop and structurally estimate a trade model in order to identify the importance of consumer taste for exporters. The model separates taste from quality and productivity (TFPQ) at the firm-product level. Export data by destination countries allow us to identify the level of taste from consumer heterogeneity across destinations. We decompose export revenue into the contribution of taste, quality and costs. We find that taste is very important and explains about 50% of the variation in export revenue. Productivity (TFPQ) differences between firm-products become more prominent than taste in explaining export success only when the cost elasticity of improving quality is high

Suggested Citation

  • Bee Yan Aw & Yi Lee & Hylke Vandenbussche, 2018. "Decomposing firm-product appeal: how important is consumer taste?," Working Papers of Department of Economics, Leuven 617036, KU Leuven, Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), Department of Economics, Leuven.
    • Handle: RePEc:ete:ceswps:617036
    Note: paper number DPS 18.03
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    Cited by:

    1. William Connell & Emmanuel Dhyne & Hylke Vandenbussche, 2019. "Learning about demand abroad from wholesalers: a B2B analysis," Working Paper Research 377, National Bank of Belgium.
    2. Jörg Mayer, 2021. "Development strategies for middle‐income countries in a digital world—Insights from modern trade economics," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(9), pages 2515-2546, September.

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    JEL classification:

    • F12 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Models of Trade with Imperfect Competition and Scale Economies; Fragmentation
    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade

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