Tuesday's Assorted Links
Swedish billionaires, hand sanitizer, döner kebabs, prison commissary, and dollar stores
Hi y’all! Here are five stories from this week that contained some neat applications of economic principles or are related to teaching:
Sweden has a global reputation for championing high taxes and social equality, but it has become a European hotspot for the super rich [BBC]
What happened to all the pandemic’s hand sanitizer startups? [The Wall Street Journal]
A German political party wants to propose a government price cap on doner kebabs, a popular street food in the country [The Guardian]
The inconsistent prices prisons charge for commissary products can be up to five times higher than in the community and include markups as high as 600% [The Appeal]
New dollar stores affect rural grocery stores more than urban grocery stores [USDA]
Have you noticed more automatic car washes in your area lately? There's a fascinating economic story behind their rise! Over the past decade, car washes have transformed into highly efficient operations. Our lifestyles have also changed. But it’s the economic characteristics of the car wash industry that have caused an explosion of car washes around suburban neighborhoods.
Why Are There So Many Car Washes?
Remember those weekends spent washing the family car in the driveway? That has become somewhat of a nostalgic memory. These days, more and more people are skipping the bucket and sponge and heading to an automatic car wash. You know the ones; they’re like futuristic robots! They can wash a car super fast—typically in just under a few minutes.
Are you an educator looking for ways to introduce this week’s newsletter into your classroom? Sign up for the Classroom Edition of Monday Morning Economist to get assessments and lesson plans delivered straight to your inbox every week.