Economy
Discover facts about economy. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Economy
A diamond slogan sold the idea of never selling the diamond.
A diamond slogan sold the idea of never selling the diamond. De Beers adopted A Diamond Is Forever in 1947, tying a durable stone to a lasting relationship.…
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Pepsi faced a massive breach of contract lawsuit in 1996 after joking in a commercial that consumers could redeem seven million points for a military-grade Harrier fighter jet.
Pepsi faced a massive breach of contract lawsuit in 1996 after joking in a commercial that consumers could redeem seven million points for a military-grade…
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A McDonald's franchise pays for the address as well as the name.
A McDonald's franchise pays for the address as well as the name. Under a conventional franchise arrangement, the company often owns or leases the property and…
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Luxury brands deliberately raise their prices to make their products more desirable, directly defying the fundamental economic law of supply and demand.
Luxury brands deliberately raise their prices to make their products more desirable, directly defying the fundamental economic law of supply and demand. For…
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Software engineers created a cryptocurrency based on a popular internet meme of a shiba inu dog in 2013 purely to mock the rampant speculation in the digital asset market.
Software engineers created a cryptocurrency based on a popular internet meme of a shiba inu dog in 2013 purely to mock the rampant speculation in the digital…
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Coca-Cola's nickel price became a surprisingly stubborn habit.
Coca-Cola's nickel price became a surprisingly stubborn habit. For decades, contracts, advertising, and vending machines helped keep a five-cent Coke…
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Iceland's banks outgrew the country that stood behind them.
Iceland's banks outgrew the country that stood behind them. By the end of 2007, the banking sector's assets were about nine times Iceland's annual economic…
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Monopoly's ancestor put rent collection on a game board in 1904.
Monopoly's ancestor put rent collection on a game board in 1904. Lizzie Magie's patented Landlord's Game sent players around a board of properties, payments…
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Euro travelers cross borders without changing currencies
Crossing from one euro-using country to another doesn’t require swapping bills or recalculating every menu price. The same number on the tag still means the…
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Mussolini made being a bachelor taxable
Fascist Italy introduced a tax on unmarried men aged 25 to 65 in 1927 as part of its push for a larger population. Marriage was no longer only a family or…
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Christmas-tree growers invest years in a short selling season
Trees need years of cultivation, pruning, and protection before they are ready for a holiday market concentrated into a few weeks. A weather or disease…
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A wool subsidy survived decades after its strategic justification ended
The U.S. stopped classifying wool as a strategic material in 1960, yet federal wool and mohair payments continued. A 1993 law finally phased that program out…
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Rhode Island accidentally advertised Iceland
The video’s accidental star was a skateboarder in Reykjavik. A multimillion-dollar tourism campaign for Rhode Island ended up giving Iceland a bit of screen…
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Can travel guides really be bought off
A hotel or restaurant may give a travel writer a free trip—or a kickback—while that writer is reviewing it. The perk can put the supposedly objective…
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Why opera rarely pays for itself
The curtain can rise on a production whose sets and orchestra cost more than the tickets bring in. The opera company still has to finance the gap.
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Why surrogacy comes with a steep price
The bill covers more than nine months of pregnancy: intended parents may also pay substantial compensation and legal fees. Those costs make surrogacy far more…
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Why Japan measures workers' waists
The government uses the annual waist checks to try to curb health-care costs. Companies that miss the program’s requirements can face financial penalties,…
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A shrinking town doesn't get a shrinking water network
In depopulating parts of Japan, fewer residents still depend on roads, pipes, and other infrastructure spread over the same area. Maintenance costs are…
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Corsica once taxed dogs for their tails
The levy gave owners a blunt way to save money: remove the taxed part. Some cut off their dogs’ tails to avoid paying the tax.
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Haunted houses survive on purely seasonal profitability
The monsters have about four weeks to earn enough for the whole year. October tickets have to pay for property costs even when the haunted house is dark.
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El Salvador claimed to be a short commute country
The slogan promised that visitors could drive across the entire country in under an hour. El Salvador was selling a very compact itinerary.
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Rounding cash transactions steals pennies
A country drops its tiniest coins, but cash registers still have to settle the bill. They round to the nearest remaining increment, turning tiny adjustments…
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Almond farms rely on millions of traveling beehives
Almond growers need more bees than local populations can supply, so they pay to rent millions of commercial hives. The hives travel by truck across the…
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Adopting a highway doesn't make it yours
In an adopt-a-highway program, volunteers typically commit to cleaning a stretch of roadside and receive a sign recognizing the group. Sponsorship programs…
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