Chapter 12: Problem 12

Explain what economists mean by "menu costs."

Short Answer

Expert verified

Menu costs refer to the costs associated with changing the prices of goods or services, including monetary costs like printing new materials, and non-monetary costs like employee time. The term was coined by economists George Akerlof and Janet Yellen and was inspired by the literal costs of reprinting menus at restaurants. These costs can act as a barrier to frequent price changes, reduce a business's competitive advantage, and contribute to price stickiness, which can slow down the adjustment of prices to their equilibrium levels, leading to economic inefficiencies and impacting the effectiveness of monetary policy.

Step by step solution

1. Definition of Menu Costs

Menu costs are the costs associated with changing the prices of goods or services, which businesses incur when they need to adjust their offerings due to changes in the market. They can be monetary (such as the printing costs of updating price tags, signage, or menus) or non-monetary (such as the time spent by employees updating the pricing system or communicating the changes to customers).

2. Origins of the term "Menu Costs"

The term "menu costs" was coined by economists George Akerlof and Janet Yellen in their 1985 paper titled "Can Small Deviations from Rationality Make Significant Differences to Economic Equilibria?" The term was inspired by the observation that restaurants had to reprint their menus whenever they changed their prices, which incurred costs.

3. Real-world examples of Menu Costs

Menu costs can be found in various industries and can differ in magnitude. Examples include: - Restaurants updating their physical or digital menus as they change their prices due to fluctuations in food costs or to offer promotional discounts. - Retail stores changing price tags, advertising, or promotional materials when they adjust the prices of products due to changes in the costs of raw materials or changes in market demand. - Service providers, such as utility companies or telecommunications firms, updating billing systems, advertising, contracts, or customer communications when their pricing structure changes.

4. Effects of Menu Costs on businesses

Menu costs can impact businesses in several ways, including the following: - They can act as a barrier to frequent price changes in businesses, even when it would be economically advantageous to do so. This is because the costs associated with changing prices may outweigh the benefits of the price change. - Menu costs can make it difficult for businesses to quickly react to changing market conditions, which may lead to lost-profit opportunities or a reduced competitive advantage. - Due to the resources required to implement price changes, businesses may instead choose to absorb changes in costs or demand rather than consistently updating their prices.

5. Effects of Menu Costs on the Economy

From an economic perspective, menu costs can have an impact on the broader economy, including the following consequences: - They can contribute to price stickiness, which is the resistance of prices to change in response to changes in supply and demand. This can slow down the adjustment of prices to their equilibrium levels, obstruct the efficient allocation of resources, and lead to short-term economic inefficiencies. - As a result of price stickiness, monetary policy may not be as effective in stimulating or cooling down the economy if businesses do not quickly respond to changes in monetary conditions by adjusting their prices. This has important implications for economic stability and policy-making.