When the ownership rights of a $3.1 million John Constable painting are unclear, no one can buy or sell, display, or conserve it.…
The Sizzling Price of a Francis Bacon Triptych
Looking at yesterday’s first online auction for very expensive contemporary art, we can ask why the price of a painting exceeded $80 million.…
Why Cheddar Cheese Is Like WTI Crude Oil
A benchmark like WTI, light mild Cheddar cheese prices are determined by commodities markets that responded to pandemic changes in supply and demand.…
When Pandemic Electricity Demand Is Like the Big Flush
Although pandemic lockdowns have reduced electricity demand, still, like the “big flush” after the Super Bowl, they need to retain peak capacity.…
How the 2020 Pandemic Is Like the 1930s Depression
Because of state mandated lockdowns, dairy farmers are responding to less demand from restaurants, schools, and hotels by dumping milk.…
Why There Really Is a Toilet Paper Shortage
It’s easy to assume that the toilet paper shortage in the U.S. is caused by panic buying and hoarding but there really might be a supply problem.…
Where We’ve Been Scrambling For Eggs
Whereas toilet paper shortages have been in the news, the headlines could also have included surging egg demand, especially in Israel.…
What Will Happen to Restaurant Food?
As business closings multiply, redeploying food from restaurants to supermarket consumers has required changes along the supply chain.…
The Pricey Purse That Created a Problem
When Hermes combined very high prices with limited availability for its Birkin bags, it not only generated conspicuous consumption but also a problem.…
Where Fashion Is Suffering From the Coronavirus
Through its fashion weeks, its factories, and its stores, the fashion industry is suffering from the impact of the coronavirus.…