By analyzing a large car registration dataset, Beat Meier shows various aspects of consumer behavior in the context of durable goods. He thereby isolates various influences on purchase decisions, e.g. the brand owned before, the price, and demographic variables. Furthermore, he investigates the short-term effects of tax incentives and reputation shocks on brand choice and brand loyalty. The dataset used is very unique and allows a longitudinal examination of the cars owned by a person. This permits to gain insights on consumer behavior of durable goods that are relatively expensive and bought infrequently.
