Demand Analysis of Clothing and Footwear: The Effects of Price, Total Consumption Expenditures and Economic Crisis

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of changes in price, total consumption expenditures and economic sitations on Korean household demands for clothing and footwear using time-series data. The clothing and footwear category was reclassified as clothing, footwear and clothing services items for the demand analysis. This study utilized the Linearized Almost Ideal Demand System (LAIDS) model to analyze household demand. The results indicate that price and total consumption expenditures are significantly related to Korean household consumption expenditure allocations for clothing and footwear items. The effects of the IMF bailout crisis in 1997 and the global financial crisis in 2008 on household expenditure shares for clothing and footwear items were very weak and statistically insignificant. All the demand elasticities were estimated with respect to total consumption expenditures and prices. Clothing was expenditure elastic (greater than one) and other items were classified as inelastic. All the own price elasticities of demands were negative (other than clothing). Through the estimations of cross price elasticity the relationships between the demands for items and other item prices were evaluated (i.e., substitutes and complements).