Modeling Consumer Choice And Optimizing Assortment Under The Threshold Multinomial Logit Model
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Modeling Consumer Choice and Optimizing Assortment Under the Threshold Multinomial Logit Model
This paper incorporates heterogeneous threshold effects into the classical multinomial logit (MNL) model, and studies the associated operations problems such as estimation and assortment optimization. The derived model is referred to as the threshold multinomial logit (TMNL) model and incorporates the recently proposed threshold Luce (T-Luce) model as a limiting case. Under the TMNL model, consumers first form their (heterogeneous) consideration set: If an alternative with significantly low utility is dominated by another one, it will not be included in the consideration set. The TMNL model can alleviate the restricted substitution patterns of MNL due to the independence of irrelevant alternatives (IIA) property, and therefore can model more flexible choice behavior. We develop a maximum likelihood based estimation to calibrate the proposed threshold model and further establish its statistical properties such as consistency and asymptotic normality under mild conditions. An efficient EM algorithm is also developed to handle the scenario with incomplete sales data. Our extensive numerical studies on synthetic and real datasets show that the new model can improve the goodness of fit and prediction accuracy of consumer choice behavior. In addition, we characterize the optimal strategies and provide efficient solutions for the associated assortment optimization problems under the TMNL model. Our theoretical and empirical results suggest that the threshold effects should be taken into account in firms' decision making such as demand estimation and operations management, and ignoring these effects could lead to sub-optimal solutions or even substantial losses for firms.
The Focal Multinomial Logit Model
{Problem Definition:} This paper considers the operational management problems under a newly proposed choice model that captures the effect of focality. The offered assortment is separated into the focal set and the non-focal set under this new model due to the bias of focality, which is identified by the focal sets and an assortment-dependent focal parameter. A prospective consumer is more likely to choose a product from the focal set, while she may still choose one from the non-focal set for a variety of reasons such as previous purchase experience or brand loyalty. This focal multinomial logit model generalizes the famous multinomial logit model and several well-studied consideration-set choice models. In addition, it has the capability to describe and explain a variety of irrational choice behaviors often observed in practice, such as the context effect, halo effect, and choice overload. {Methodology/results:} In this paper, we primarily focus on the threshold focal set and various focal parameter settings, including the constant, cardinality, and linear focal multinomial logit models, as well as a broader model that satisfies certain regularity conditions and subsumes the above models. We analyze the computational complexity and propose polynomial-time exact or approximation algorithms to solve the assortment optimization problems under different focal parameters. We then characterize the optimal strategy for the joint price and assortment optimization problem. Additionally, we develop a mixed integer conic programming reformulation method that converges to a global optimal estimator for the model calibration problem. {Managerial Implications:} We use these methods to conduct numerical experiments on both synthetic and real data sets. The results demonstrate the efficiency of our proposed algorithms, the predictive power, and the increase in revenue for the focal multinomial logit model. Our extensive analysis implies that in practice retailers may take into account the effect of focality in consumer purchase behavior because it could increase the accuracy of demand estimation and therefore improve operational performance.
Integer Programming and Combinatorial Optimization
This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 25th International Conference on Integer Programming and Combinatorial Optimization, IPCO 2024, held in Wrocław, Poland, during July 3–5, 2024. The 33 full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 101 submissions. IPCO is under the auspices of the Mathematical Optimization Society, and it is an important forum for presenting present recent developments in theory, computation, and applications. The scope of IPCO is viewed in a broad sense, to include algorithmic and structural results in integer programming and combinatorial optimization as well as revealing computational studies and novel applications of discrete optimization to practical problems.