FORECASTING SALES OF CONSUMERS' DURABLE GOODS.

Can demand and consequently the market for consumers' durable goods be reduced to a mathematical model? Yes, these business economists contend, provided the right framework is chosen and proper statistical correlations are made to compensate for those eternal marketing variables -- price, credit, income, and use-facilities. They illustrate their point by constructing an econometric model, applicable to any durable good, and demonstrate its use and accuracy by analyzing sales of washing machines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]