Posts Tagged ‘consumer price index’

Why does your mocha frapp cost more in New York than in Pittsburgh?

Friday, January 8th, 2010

It just seems to make sense that a drink from a chain like Starbucks should cost the same amount no matter where you are when you order it. The menus are the same and the coffee all comes from the same place — so what’s the difference? To understand, you need to realize that you’re paying for much more than just espresso and the Barista’s snazzy signature green apron. While some operational costs are the same for all stores in a megachain like Starbucks — the coffee itself, for instance — other costs vary depending on the location of the individual store.

The cost to hire the best Baristas, or wages, varies from state to state. Taxes are much higher in some states than others. The cost of renting space in a city like New York is simply much higher than renting space in Pittsburgh. Even the price of milk varies greatly depending on where you are. When you pay a few cents or a dollar more for your drink in New York than you would Pittsburgh, you’re really paying for the heightened costs of running a business there.

Plunging Prices Follow The Crash

Monday, October 5th, 2009

Times are good for bargain-hunters, but a price-slashing culture could be disastrous for retailers and their employees.

  • Prices around the country are dropping in a retail campaign to win back buyers who put their wallets away when the stock market crashed and thriftiness became the norm.
  • Shoppers are staying away primarily because they’re broke, but also because the consumer culture has changed since 2007: conspicuous consumption just isn’t as okay as it used to be.
  • Because consumers are now holding out for the discounts they know desperate retailers will offer, companies are forced to cut prices even as their profit margins shrink. Lower prices mean lower profits, which often translates to hiring freezes and layoffs. This is the same cycle that affects the Japanese economy, which has been battling deflation for decades.

Facts & Figures

  • 70% of the U.S. economy is made up of consumer spending, but following the stock market crash in 2008, total household wealth decreased by 11% in less than six months.
  • On average, prices have decreased by about 20% in the hotel industry and more than 30% in the real estate market.
  • The Consumer Price Index dropped 1.5% between September 2008 and September 2009 – the largest decrease since 1950.

Best Quote

“This is the new normal. We aren’t going back.” – Donald Keprta, President of Dominick’s (a supermarket chain in the Midwest)

What’s The Worst-Case Scenario For The Financial Crisis?

Saturday, April 25th, 2009

It could just start with “Sale” signs at your favorite stores. Unfortunately, Spain is getting a glimpse…

  • Several European nations – most notably Spain – are facing deflation in the wake of the global financial crisis.
  • As consumer demand continues to drop, Spanish merchants are cutting prices, salaries, and employees just to keep afloat.
  • Because Spain’s currency (the Euro) is now governed by the European Union, there is very little the Spanish government can do to control potential deflation (such as slash interest rates or devalue the national currency).

Facts & Figures

  • Spain’s unemployment rate is currently 15.5% and could reach 20% in the near future. Among workers under 25, the rate rises to 31.8%.  In comparison, the unemployment rate in the US is under 9%.
  • La Casa de la Caridad (Valencia’s main soup kitchen) expects to serve 12,000 meals to needy residents in April – three times as many as last year.
  • Since last year, wholesale prices in Japan dropped 2.2% and 8% in Germany; in the U.S., the Consumer Price Index dropped for the first time since 1955.

Best Quote

“Alarm bells are going off.  Economies can recover from deceleration, but it’s harder to recover from a deflationary situation. This could be a catastrophe for the Spanish economy.” – Lorenzo Amor, President of the Association of Autonomous Workers

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