We have already posted on Grocery Stores artificially holding prices high and the use of another entity gathering those prices and supplying them to various entities. In day two, Kroger’s use of Albertson’s higher pricing to set their own pricing is a ” strategic avoidance of lowering pricing.” Read on, I will gather up Day Three for later tomorrow. Kroger’s Pricing Strategies and Market Control Scrutinized in Day 2 of Merger Hearing, Economic...
Read More »Manufacturing and construction together suggest weak but still expanding leading sectors
– by New Deal democrat As usual we start the month with two important reports on the leading sectors of manufacturing and construction. First, the ISM manufacturing index showed contraction yet again, with the headline number “less negative” by way of increasing from 46.8 to 47.2, and the more leading new orders subindex declining sharply by -2.8 from 47.4 to 44.6: Including August, here are the last sis months of both the headline...
Read More »For Labor Day: 4 measures of worker wage growth
– by New Deal democrat On this Labor Day, it is fitting to update the economic state of ordinary workers. There is a variety of economic data series to track both average and median wages: The most commonly known measure average hourly pay for nonsupervisory workers, which is part of the monthly jobs report. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, which conducts the household employment survey, also reports “usual weekly earnings” for full-time...
Read More »More on Why Albertsons Should Not Be Allowed to Combine with Kroger
We have shopped at both stores and also Frys which is also a part of Kroger. Of the three, Ftys is less costly. Our Frys always seems to be out of product. We end up at Bashas to fill out the rest of or grocery shopping, or Sprouts which has excellent veggies, or make the trip to WalMart which is on the other side of town. In any case, you will not save much. They all know what the other is charging. The real issue is, when there is a shortage, do...
Read More »More of the “Economy Is Bad” Under Biden Series
I guess if it is said enough times it has to be true or does it have to be? The Biden rescue since he took office is far better than what we experienced in 2008 onward. Yet Another in the Economy Is Bad Under Biden by Dean Baker CEPR Like other major news outlets, the Washington Post is perfectly happy to ignore the data to tell you the economy is bad under Biden. Past entries in this series included the many pieces telling us young...
Read More »Who is better on unions, Harris or Trump?
A fitting topic for Labor Day, 2024.Over at TPM, they have an extended discussion of the records of the Biden/Harris Administration vs the Trump/Pence administration regarding unions and workplace safety. Click the link to read the whole thing. I’ll keep the quotes here within fair use.“. . . three aspects of the candidates’ records are the most likely to sway union members one way or the other.“Federal workers“Trump signed three executive orders in...
Read More »A Hard Sell to the American Car Culture
What is the American Car Culture today? You do not need to look closely or even need glasses to examine or see what it is today. It is no longer a car, it is SUVs and pickups, larger pickups two rows of seating, and even larger pickups with dually wheels. Many are vehicles which never haul anything except one driver and maybe a small family once and a while. Now manufacturers are trying to electrify them for longer distances to get similar mileage...
Read More »The SEC and the economics of college sports
I lost interest in football after high school. Although college athletes were ostensibly amateurs, the perks they enjoyed, above and beyond full scholarships, made them more like professionals than your average college student. And there were regular recruiting scandals to back up that perception. Now that all that financial compensation is above board, those “student-athletes” are basically professionals. I attended SEC schools for college. Indeed, I...
Read More »An A1 Price Fixing Dream. You Know It’s There. But You Can’t Prove It.
I spent some time today adding to this piece in the hope of making it clear in explanation. What is occurring is many entities are using software which compares its pricing to what the market will bear. No one knows the others adding their data. However, the end result is what is being charged is particular markets for similar products. So, companies adjust their pricing. We’re Entering an AI Dystopia, by Rogé Karma The Atlantic If...
Read More »Developing the World’s Tallest Timber Tower Again
Milwaukee is developing the world’s tallest timber tower . . . again | CNN Commenter Bob Michaelson recently posted on Joel Eissenberg’s post Getting High on Wood . . . What Bob was pointing to in his comment was Milwaukee, WI build of another Timber Tower skyscraper building type made of wood. Presently, a mass timber hybrid high-rise apartment building also in Milwaukee, Ascent MKE is a 284-foot, 25-story high-rise. It is the world’s tallest...
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