Why do most prices rarely change?

Dialogues économiques
SEPTEMBER 14, 2021
Fuel prices are almost constantly changing, whilst prices paid for electrical appliances may remain stable for several months. For most products, prices tend to remain the same over weeks or even months. There is a simple explanation for this: it would be too expensive for companies to perpetually analyse market price changes. This is the conclusion reached by economists Mark N. Harris, Hervé Le Bihan and Patrick Sevestre after analysing the evolution of prices of several hundred industrial product pricess.
Read the article on
https://www.dialogueseconomiques.fr/en/article/why-do-most-prices-rarely-change

Latest publications

Cecilia García Peñalosa: Connections between growth, inequality, and gender
A video interview with Research Professor Cecilia García Peñalosa (CNRS/EHESS/AMSE), who was awarded the CNRS Silver Medal in 2025.
In healthcare, controlling spending comes at the expense of the most disadvantaged.
An article by Marwân-al-Qays Bousmah (INED), Bruno Ventelou (CNRS / AMSE), Mohammad Abu-Zaineh (AMU / AMSE), and Simon Combes (UCL) published by The Conversation.
Economic outlook: fragile stability under pressure as 2027 approaches.
Summary of the discussion between Xavier Ragot, President of the French Economic Observatory, and Alain Trannoy (EHESS/AMSE) at the latest "Café de l’éco" organized by the Cercle des économistes.