The holiday season is marked by rising prices, but turkey is surprisingly cheap this year, thanks to strategic discounts from major retailers. The discussion highlights Macy's financial woes and their new streaming deal for the Thanksgiving Parade. Unique brand collaborations, like KFC teaming up with Build-A-Bear, are also explored. Amidst declining Lunchables sales and food trend struggles, the hosts delve into the economic landscape, revealing how turkey serves as a loss leader to attract shoppers despite inflation's impact on other holiday expenses.
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Quick takeaways
Thanksgiving turkey prices have decreased significantly this year due to its role as a loss leader amidst rising costs in other items.
Macy's financial outlook improves with a lucrative broadcasting deal for its Thanksgiving Day parade despite challenges like declining quarterly sales and accounting issues.
Deep dives
Holiday Pricing Trends
This holiday season presents a mixed bag of pricing trends for consumers. While turkey prices have significantly decreased from last year's highs, providing a silver lining during Thanksgiving, other food items such as eggs and flights have seen marked price increases. Egg prices have surged, coinciding with an uptick in holiday baking, and flight costs are up over 25% compared to last year, representing the highest jump since the late 1980s. Such fluctuations in pricing highlight the ongoing economic pressures that consumers face while planning their holiday gatherings.
Macy's Thanksgiving Parade Deal
Macy's is poised to reap substantial financial benefits from its longstanding Thanksgiving Day parade, with an impending deal estimated to triple NBC's payment for broadcasting rights to approximately $60 million annually. This deal underscores the event's popularity, which attracted about 28 million viewers last year, and signifies the value of live televised events in the current media landscape. Despite challenges faced by the retail chain, including a 2.4% drop in quarterly sales attributed to accounting irregularities, the parade continues to serve as a major asset for Macy's. The strengthening of this contract reflects a keen interest in maintaining viewership of traditional holiday programming.
Challenges for Lunchables and AI in Education
Lunchables is currently experiencing a decline in sales, with a 12% drop reported in Q3, caused by rising health concerns and increased competition from new market entrants. This downturn is reflected in the parent company Kraft Heinz, which also saw a drop in revenue, prompting discussions on the need for healthier alternatives to processed lunch options. In the education sector, a recent legal case highlights the challenges institutions face in addressing the use of AI-generated content in student work, raising questions about academic integrity and the evolving landscape of education. The ruling against a student disciplined for using AI introduces critical debates about how schools will manage and regulate the use of artificial intelligence in learning environments.
The holidays are here. Flights and eggs are more expensive. But Thanksgiving turkey is a relative bargain due to its status as a loss leader. Plus: Accounting troubles for Macy’s and the decline of Lunchables.
Join our hosts Mark Dent and Rob Litterst as they take you through our most interesting stories of the day.
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