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The Timing Of Movie Releases: Evidence From The Home Video Industry, Lesley Chiou
The Timing Of Movie Releases: Evidence From The Home Video Industry, Lesley Chiou
Lesley Chiou
In the movie industry, an intriguing question is why studios cluster their big theatrical hits during the Memorial Day or July 4th weekends in the early summer as opposed to the fall. This paper examines the home video industry to provide more evidence on whether booms in theatrical revenues are supply- or demand-driven. First, I find no evidence of segmentation within the home video market by genre or newness of videos. Secondly, my estimates of the seasonality within the home video market suggest that Memorial Day and July 4th may be more favorable for a theatrical release than Labor Day.
Crossing The Line: Direct Estimation Of Cross-Border Cigarette Sales And The Effect On Tax Revenues, Lesley Chiou, Erich Muehlegger
Crossing The Line: Direct Estimation Of Cross-Border Cigarette Sales And The Effect On Tax Revenues, Lesley Chiou, Erich Muehlegger
Lesley Chiou
Differences in excise taxes across jurisdictions create incentives for consumers to cross the border and to purchase in lower-tax jurisdictions. This paper introduces a discrete choice model to examine tax avoidance and state border crossing in the market for cigarettes. We exploit a rich dataset of consumer location choices and demographics to estimate a consumer's tradeoff between distance and price when choosing a location to maximize utility. Using the estimates from our location and demand models, we reconsider a recent public policy issue among states and simulate tax avoidance under alternative cigarette excise tax levels.