Understand: The Economy

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Adam Fleming unpicks some of the key elements of the UK election.

Adam Fleming, host of Newscast and AntiSocial, unpicks some of the key elements of the UK election.

The Economy

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Understand the Economy

Understand: The Economy: The Economy: 11. Pricing and discounting

The Economy: 11. Pricing and discounting

BBC Radio 4 - Understand, The Economy, The Economy: 11. Pricing and discounting

How does pricing work, and when is a bargain really a bargain?

How does pricing work, when is a bargain really a bargain, and what happens when we bulk buy?

On one hand,  we’ve all experienced the things we buy getting more expensive, from the price of fuel to a tub of butter. On the other hand, retailers desperately try to entice us to buy with discounts.  Shops seem to constantly have their ‘best ever’ sales and there are days like ‘Black Friday’ when prices are slashed.  
How can prices go up and up, and at the same time drop?  

In this episode, Felicity Hannah speaks to Rupal Patel, Economist at the Bank of England, to de-mystify how prices work and figure out who has the power in the buyer seller relationship.  Dr Victoria Bateman, economic Historian from the University of Cambridge brings us the history of bulk buying. 

Everything you need to know about the economy and what it means for you. This podcast will cut through the jargon to help you understand the complicated terms and phrases you hear on the news. Inflation, GDP, National Debt, energy markets and more.  We’ll ensure you understand what’s going on today, why your shopping is getting more expensive or why your pay doesn’t cover your bills.


Guest: Rupal Patel, Economist at the Bank of England and co-author of ‘Can’t we just print more money? Economics in Ten Simple Questions’
Producer: Louise Clarke-Rowbotham
Researcher: Beth Ashmead-Latham
Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards
Editor: Clare Fordham
Theme music: Don’t Fret, Beats Fresh Music

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Factual: Money

Tim Harford cuts through the jargon of the economic terms and ideas dominating the news.

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