Demand

COVID-19 and the 2020 Summer Camp Season

Audrieanna Burgin
12 June 2020

Currently, they are more than 14,000 summer camps across the United States. States all over the nation are preparing to slowly open their economies. The American Camp Association states that it will vary greatly based on region and local governing…

GMA: “Yale student leads 2,700 volunteers in helping New Yorkers”

Audrieanna Burgin
24 April 2020

Liam Elkind is the founder of Invisible Hands, a group of thousands of volunteers that are bringing groceries to people at high risk of contracting coronavirus. This organization is connecting “young, able-body people with those most in need during this time of crisis.” People who are 65 and older or have pre-existing conditions have a higher risk for contracting coronavirus. The founders stated that they felt inspired by our healthcare professionals who are on the front lines fighting COVID-19. Through the Invisible Hand initiative, those at a higher risk can request a delivery of groceries, medicine, and/or supplies online. The Invisible Hand volunteer will then pick up the items and deliver them for free.

Marker: “What Everyone’s Getting Wrong About the Toilet Paper Shortage”

David Switzer
8 April 2020

Why is it so difficult to find toilet paper amidst the COVID-19 crisis? Conventional wisdom is that people have been irrationally hoarding, but a more likely explanation involves the ways in which supply chains between retail and institutional consumers have been disrupted and are unable to quickly adjust.

Stadiums Experiment with Lowering Food and Beverage Prices

Michael Coon
3 April 2020

The Tampa Bay Lightning announced they would be lowering prices on food and drink options in Amelie Arena for the 2020 season. Prices would be reduced by an average of 15 percent on 300 items, including alcohol. Some items (popcorn, bottled water, and soda) would be reduced in price by as much as 25 percent. Season-ticket holders would retain their additional 25 percent discount on top of those reductions.

CNN: “Why Walmart is seeing increased sales for tops, but not bottoms during the coronavirus crisis”

David Switzer
1 April 2020

As more people engage in “teleworking” from home due to being on lockdown due to COVID-19, sales of tops have increased – since that’s all that shows on the webcam. Walmart also reports increased sales of home entertainment items, as both adults and kids spend more time at home.

The New York Times: “America Stress-Bought All the Baby Chickens”

David Switzer
30 March 2020

Sales of baby chicks often rise before Easter, but this year’s increase has been extraordinary due to a variety of factors influenced by COVID-19: people are staying home with time to spend, while egg prices have increased 50% in some parts of the country due to increased demand, and eggs are difficult to find on shelves in some cities.

Drive-In Movie Theater Popularity Surges Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

Audrieanna Burgin
25 March 2020

Don’t call it a comeback! Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, certain markets will see expansions and others will see contractions. We already see contraction and a reduction in economic activity in our service industries. One unique market that is seeing an expansion, or increase in economic activity, are Drive-In Movie Theaters. The Los Angeles Times reports, some of the 305 drive-in movie theaters in the United States are seeing a surge in sales. The Paramount Drive-in (in Paramount, CA) reported that their sales have at least doubled, and demand is at an all-time high.

Demand for Hand Sanitizer Skyrockets by More than 1,000 Percent

NickelsMcHughMcHugh
17 March 2020

Last week (see From the News to The Classroom blog site) we looked at how fears over coronavirus have caused major events to cancel and governments to restrict travel. Since then, organizers of South By Southwest have called off the…

BBC News: “Coronavirus: South Africa’s economic victims”

Veronica Horton
11 March 2020

This video explores the impact of the novel coronavirus on South Africa’s lobster industry. Prior to the outbreak of COVID-19 in China, South Africa exported 80 to 90 percent of its lobster to China. Following the health crisis and the mandatory quarantine of so many people in China, demand for lobster has all but stopped, putting extreme pressure on South Africa’s fishing industry.

Chicken Little is an Increasingly Rare Bird

EVs: Driving Change at Convenience Stores

Who’s In The Driver’s Seat: The Changing Dynamics of Auto Production

China’s Population is Declining – Too hot, too cold, or just nice for its Economic Development?

The Externalities Effect of Child Firearm Fatalities in the States

Why is Everything Getting So Expensive?

Understanding the U.S. Labor Market – A January 2023 Snapshot

The New Economics of Car Production

Looming Water Crisis – What can YOU do to Conserve Water?

U.K. Economy Three Years after Brexit