Global Supply Chain

Was Your iPhone Made in India?

Veronica Horton
28 April 2022

Notes: Was the iPhone you just bought made in India? Maybe not, but your next one very well could be. Apple recently announced that it will be increasing production in India. The company hopes the move will help it reduce…

Is Now the Time to Buy an Electric Car?

Veronica Horton
28 March 2022

Electric vehicles or EVs as they’re often called, have been around for a while, but for many people, the economics of owning an EV haven’t made sense. Now though, with prices at the pump reaching new highs, you might be…

We Have Record Profits, But We Still Need to Raise Prices

Veronica Horton
14 February 2022

Does it seem like there’s a disconnect between reports of record earnings by large companies and warnings from the same companies that they need to raise prices to cover their higher costs? Indeed, at the same time companies are telling…

But It’s Not Even Halloween!

Veronica Horton
1 October 2021

Halloween is still weeks away, but retailers are sounding warnings that it may already be too late to buy an artificial Christmas tree this year! Indeed, artificial trees manufactured in China and other low wage countries in Asia could be…

The Economics of IKEA: Why Does Labor Lead to Love? (VIDEO)

NickelsMcHughMcHugh
12 August 2021

The Swedish company IKEA is famous across the globe for its meatballs and its wide array of furniture that customers must assemble at home. This video explains the behavioral psychology behind the “IKEA effect” with its winding floor plan that…

Could Fast Fashion Lose Its Allure?

Veronica Horton
4 June 2021

Has your wardrobe been a little more casual this past year? The world is beginning to reopen following more than a year of stay-at-home orders, closed borders, and closures. Many people are looking forward to ditching the comfy attire they…

How a Blockage in the Suez Canal is Contributing to a Change at the Mall

Veronica Horton
11 May 2021

Like so many businesses, clothing retailers have endured a year or more of disrupted supply chains, challenges with maintaining appropriate inventory, and significant fluctuations in demand. The recent blockage in the Suez Canal was just the latest in a string…

The Geopolitics of the Global Semiconductor Chip Shortage

Veronica Horton
16 April 2021

This video explores the global shortage of semiconductors, the tiny chips used as the brains for everything from cars to jets to washing machines. While market forces might usually work to bring supply and demand together, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted…

Tesla Quality Issues: The Economic Cost of a Damaged Reputation – Video

Veronica Horton
23 March 2021

Abstract: This video explores Tesla’s mounting problems in China. In 2018, Tesla announced that it would be building its first Gigafactory outside the United States in Shanghai. China has emerged as the world’s biggest auto market and as an important…

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