Bayesian Machine Learning Methods For Large Scale Demand Estimation

Abstract

This work studies how Bayesian machine learning methods can be used for large-scale demand estimation with many product categories. I compare two model classes, a latent factorization model and a mixed logit model and two Bayesian estimation approaches, Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) and Variational Inference (VI). The analysis combines a simulation study with an application to supermarket scanner data. The results show that the latent factorization model benefits from information across categories and improves its predictive performance as the dimensionality of the choice environment increases, whereas the mixed logit model does not exhibit the same pattern. MCMC delivers the highest predictive accuracy but is computationally intensive. VI achieves slightly lower predictive performance while substantially reducing runtime. In the empirical application, VI also outperforms the mixed logit benchmark. These findings highlight a trade-off between accuracy and computational feasibility in multi-category demand estimation.