A list of two matrices, one for expenditures and one for counts.
The first four columns present the base period information
base_index (the base time period), base (base period expenditure or count),
base_matched (the expenditure or count of the base period after matching),
base_share (share of total expenditure in the base period that remains after
matching). Columns 5-8 are defined analogously for the current period. The matched
numbers for the base period should be interpreted as the count or expenditure
that remains after removal of products that exist in the base period, but not
in the current period. That is, products that existed in the base period but no
longer exist in the current period are removed by the matching. If new products
exist in the current period that were not available in the base period, this
does not affect the matched base period expenditure or count. The appearance
of new products is captured in the current period matched expenditure and counts.
Therefore, a base period share that is less than 1 indicates that products have
disappeared, while a current period share less than 1 indicates that new products
have appeared.
The count matrix has two additional columns, "new" and "leaving". The new column
gives the number of products that exist in the current period but not the base period.
The leaving column gives the count of products that exist in the base period
but not the current period. Matching removes both of these types of products.