One Widget Two Widget Red Widget Blue Widget
March 29, 2006 8:03 AM Subscribe
WidgetsFilter. What government (US) resource will tell me how many unique widgets are available for sale each year?
For example, if widgets in 2005 were available in red, yellow, and blue, the answer to my question would be "3". I don't care how many red widgets were produced in the US, or how many were imported, or how many were purchased, just that red widgets were available. Help me clarify my question! How can I phrase this question in proper economic terms? Better yet, what government resource can help me get to this figure?
PS. I would count Acme Large Red Widget and Foobar Small Red Widget separately; if this helps, each item should have its own unique UPS code, although that is a big assumption to make in the widget industry...
For example, if widgets in 2005 were available in red, yellow, and blue, the answer to my question would be "3". I don't care how many red widgets were produced in the US, or how many were imported, or how many were purchased, just that red widgets were available. Help me clarify my question! How can I phrase this question in proper economic terms? Better yet, what government resource can help me get to this figure?
PS. I would count Acme Large Red Widget and Foobar Small Red Widget separately; if this helps, each item should have its own unique UPS code, although that is a big assumption to make in the widget industry...
The UN's COMTRADE database has fairly specific infomation on types of imports and exports. Exactly what industries/products are you looking for? Unless the industry is very large/regulated (energy, automobiles, etc.) you'll have trouble. The government certainly collects information at very fine level but tends to only release broad aggregates, partially to protect the identities of the companies. In econ-speak it sounds like you are asking about the number of varieties of a differentiated product. Varieties of a product would have high elasticities of substitution with each other and low elasticities of substitution with varieties of other products.
posted by thrako at 11:14 AM on March 29, 2006
posted by thrako at 11:14 AM on March 29, 2006
Response by poster: I am interested in a number of consumer packaged goods - including alcoholic beverages. Would the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms for the non-'Mericans) track the varieties of beverages, which should count as differentiated products?
posted by pants at 3:22 PM on March 29, 2006
posted by pants at 3:22 PM on March 29, 2006
You may be able to get closer to what you're looking for by digging for, err, the number of unique SKUs (stock-keeping units). But maybe not much closer.
posted by onshi at 3:22 PM on March 30, 2006
posted by onshi at 3:22 PM on March 30, 2006
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posted by punkfloyd at 9:30 AM on March 29, 2006