The Blue Light Special

2min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

The blue light special was invented by an assistant store manager at a camar in indiana. It helped them clear out the stuff they didn't want, and it gave shoppers this rush of a drenelin that kept them in the store longer and made them spend more money. The headquarters just outside of chicago wouldnt decide where and when and what product would be placed on theblue light special. And that the blue light special in laramie, wyoming, camart would be the exact same as a one in honolulu.

In a new book called The Voltage Effect, the economist John List — who has already revolutionized how his profession does research — is trying to start a scaling revolution. In this installment of the Freakonomics Radio Book Club, List teaches us how to avoid false positives, how to know whether a given success is due to the chef or the ingredients, and how to practice “optimal quitting.”