While we have no direct measurement of demand curve for any item or items, we can assess demand curve within a given sector based on certain known proxies.
| Category | Example UCC Items | Economic Role | SOM Linkage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food at home / away | FPRC, FRUI, RESTAURANTS |
Classical demand goods, staple elasticities | CPI Food, Grocery Retail |
| Housing (rent, mortgage, utilities) | RENT, MORT, ELEC, GAS, WATER |
Durable consumption; low elasticity | Census Housing Cost burdens |
| Transportation | VEH_PURCHASE, GASOLINE, INSURANCE, REPAIRS |
Energy and durables; cyclical | CBP Auto & Repair NAICS |
| Apparel | CLOTHING_MEN, CLOTHING_WOMEN, SHOES |
High elasticity discretionary goods | Retail Apparel |
| Health Care | INSURANCE_HEALTH, DRUGS, SUPPLIES |
Mixed elasticities; policy-sensitive | Health services SOM |
| Recreation / Media | TV_AUDIO, INTERNET, GAMES, BOOKS |
Non-essential, elastic | Digital goods overlap |
| Education | TUITION, SUPPLIES_EDU |
Income elasticity > 1 | Education market segment |
| Personal care | TOILETRIES, HAIRCARE |
Normal but stable demand | Consumer goods SOM |
| Alcohol / Tobacco | ALCOHOL_HOME, TOBACCO |
Price elastic, regulated | Sin-goods SOM |
These categories correspond well to Census NAICS codes (e.g., 7225 “Restaurants”, 4471 “Gasoline stations”).