Non-price competition - innovation and exclusivity from M&S
M&S have just solved the ultimate middle class problem by introducing a seedless cocktail avocado, as the BBC puts it, "to help avoid all those pesky avocado-related injuries".
IMF warns over risks for Chinese economy
The IMF is concerned about the state of the Chinese banking system, and the implications of this for Chinese growth.
India transforms the roof solar power industry
India is making strides towards becoming a global solar superpower and this short video from the World Bank provides an overview of the rapid progress being made. A game changer - a hugely...
Marshall (Economics) Library Advent Calendar 2017
A lovely idea from the Marshall Economics Library at Cambridge University - an advent calendar of famous economists!
Game of Theories: The Great Recession
Our friends at Marginal Revolution have a new video looking at four different theories of business cycles and what they might say about the Global Financial Crisis and the Great Recession of a...
Cinema Takeover: Cineworld buys Regal
Horizontal integration in the cinema industry as Cineworld buys Regal to establish the second biggest cinema operator globally. It is a sizeable bet given increasing competition from online...
Capitalism without capital
A new book by Jonathan Haskel and Stian Westlake - Capitalism without Capital: The Rise of the Intangible Economy - is causing quite a stir among those intrigued by the rise of digital platform...
Economics News Quiz - 1 December 2017
Here's this week's Economics News Quiz. Good luck!
How technology tries to hack your brain
The distraction and the emotion of the attention economy is explored in this superb video from David Grossman of BBC Newsnight.
The rise (and rise) of the unconditional university offer
Are colleagues in other schools and colleges seeing more universities offering unconditional places to students who choose them as firm first choice?
Can extreme poverty ever be eradicated?
The World Bank's definition of absolute poverty is that anyone living on less than $1.90 per day is living in extreme poverty. But is it feasible for extreme poverty to be completely eradicated?
Banks pass the latest stress test challenge!
The Bank of England has published their latest stress test results and even in the most pessimistic scenario, all of the main commercial banks were able to show that they have sufficient capital...
Living Diagram part 2
This was a bit more difficult than my first effort and didn't come out quite as good but the students appreciated it and (mostly) recognised what it was supposed to be. Many of them took a bite of...
How the US Federal Reserve sets interest rates
How the Federal Reserve sets rates. It's American-focused but shows how the base rate is only part of the story for the average bank customer, and thus equally applicable to the UK too.
"Clash of the Titans" - the ERC's annual competition
If you're looking for a great competition for your students to enter then there are few better (or easier to enter) than the Economic Research Council's "Clash of the Titans". The concept is...
Tencent reaches $500bn market capitalisation
Another milestone for those tracking the changing centre of gravity in the world economy.
Why is Tanzania importing coconuts?
This BBC clip looks at the challenges facing the coconut industry in Tanzania. The country - the biggest grower of coconuts - is facing a fall in coconut production.
Economics Weekly Quiz - November 24 2017
Here's this week's quiz on the world of Economics. Good luck!
IMF warns that era of UK austerity is not yet over
Larry Elliott looks at the latest IMF research that concludes that the future performance of the UK economy isn't healthy and that we're in for around another decade or so of austerity. Building on...
Focus on Productivity
Raising productivity was one of the key aspects of Philip Hammond's budget yesterday. The 'Productivity Puzzle' - namely why the UK's productivity has been lagging for so long - is a supply-side...