Tuesday's Assorted Links
Skimpflation, scent marketing, Spirit Christmas stores, meat collusion, and Asheville tourism
Hi y’all! Here are five stories from this week that contained some neat applications of economic principles or are related to teaching:
Skimpflation is hard to spot, but a cake from Whole Foods can help explain [CNN]
How fast-food restaurants use scent to market to customers [Atlas Obscura]
Some Spirit Halloween stores will convert to Spirit Christmas stores after the fall holiday [Attractions Magazine]
McDonald’s sued several major meat producers, alleging that they colluded to limit their supplies and increase prices [CNBC]
Asheville’s small businesses depend on fall to sustain them during quieter months, but Hurricane Helene changed everything [The Washington Post Podcast]
In March 2025, a quiet moment in history will occur—the sun will finally set on the British Empire as the UK transfers the British Indian Ocean Territory to Mauritius. This is an opportunity to reflect on the economic legacy of the British Empire that gave rise to modern globalization, reshaped global trade through monopolies, and left many colonies with the scars of resource exploitation.
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