For decades, the New Jersey-based party supply retailer Party City has relied on balloon sales to keep it afloat. Doing so requires a plentiful supply of helium, the second-most abundant element in the universe that is nevertheless increasingly difficult to find on Earth. Due to both supply chain and production problems, companies are currently using up helium at a quicker rate than it can be produced. As a result, the skyrocketing price of helium has begun to spoil the fun Continue reading
From metal water bottles to sustainable comforters, green-minded companies have created a wealth of options for today’s eco-friendly consumers. But while many of these products are good for the environment, they’re often too expensive to make a big impact on the marketplace. For instance, a startup named LARQ sells a stainless-steel water bottle with an ultraviolet light in the cap that purifies any water poured through it. Although this product is meant to serve as an alternative to $2 plastic Continue reading
With Valentine’s Day just a week away, lovebirds across the nation are running out of time to stock up on romantic gifts like flowers and candy. But while stores should have many of the seasonal items that shoppers are looking for, there’s one iconic Valentine treat that consumers won’t be able to get their hands on. Due to the sudden closing of the Necco candy factory in July, there will be no SweetHearts available this year.
The colorful heart-shaped candies Continue reading
From December 22, 2018, up until last Friday, the federal government remained shut down due to a budget dispute between the White House and congressional Democrats. During the course of this 35-day shutdown, thousands of federal employees either worked without pay or were sent home until the government reopened. And according to a new report from the bipartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the shutdown cost the U.S. economy an estimated $11 billion.
The report says that most of the lost Continue reading
Nearly four years ago, we published a blog post centered on companies like Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat who claimed to be creating the future of food. Both of these startups developed plant-based alternatives to meat that looked and tasted similar to the real thing, an idea which seemed straight out of science fiction at the time. Fast forward to 2019, though, and now consumers can purchase Beyond Meat’s burger patties at any Whole Foods location that manages to keep Continue reading
Last year, the price of bitcoin nearly reached $20,000, leading some optimistic analysts to label the cryptocurrency as the future of money. According to them, the value of the decentralized currency could only go up since it was free of manipulation from any single government or institution. Soon after reaching this peak in late 2017, however, bitcoin began a steady drop that continued throughout the year. In fact, on Monday the price of the cryptocurrency fell below $3,650, Continue reading
With Thanksgiving only a couple of days away, America’s grocery stores will soon be flooded with consumers looking to pick up a few last minute ingredients. And while these time-crunched cooks will likely spend a long time waiting in the checkout line, they at least won’t be greeted with a steep bill once they reach the register. That’s because the American Farm Bureau Federation said that this year’s average price for a Thanksgiving dinner has dropped slightly in comparison to Continue reading
Determining the right price for a product can be one of the trickiest aspects of business. After all, not everyone calculates value in the same way. Where one person sees trash, another person could see treasure. Take an item that could be considered the most boring part of a car: the license plate. To most Americans, this piece of metal amounts to little more than the legal ID for their vehicle. If you happen to live in Delaware, however, the Continue reading