

How the Supermarket Helped America Win the Cold War (Update)
316 snips Dec 9, 2024
Shane Hamilton, a historian at the University of York and author of "Supermarket USA," joins Peter Timmer, a former Harvard economist and expert in agricultural policy. They discuss the strategic role supermarkets played in Cold War propaganda, shaping American eating habits and showcasing abundance to contrast against the USSR. The conversation dives into agricultural innovations like the 'Chicken of Tomorrow,' the influence of government policies on the food supply chain, and the ideological clash represented by consumerism in the Cold War.
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Supermarket Origins
- Supermarkets, central to modern life, weren't always around.
- Their development is intertwined with industrial agriculture and the affordability of mass-produced food.
Early Supermarket Innovations
- Piggly Wiggly pioneered the self-service model, changing how customers shopped.
- A&P became the largest retailer, showcasing the supermarket's rapid growth and dominance.
Government's Role in Supermarket Development
- Supermarkets were meant to lower food costs, but the government's involvement led to antitrust issues with A&P.
- The USDA played a key role, highlighting the government's influence in the supermarket's rise.