In our final episode of the season, Bridget and Ryan get a question from Will in Ohio and are taking a cross-country road trip to answer it. Will wants to know why there are so many of the same stores. From Starbucks to Home Depot and all the McDonald’s in between, we’ll break down the reason why.
After you listen to the episode, here are some questions you can ask your kid listener to see how much they learned about economies of scale:
What is an economy of scale?
Why would a business want to make MORE of something?
How might a store with only one location differ from a store with lots?
(Scroll down or click here for the answers!)
If you and your kids want to learn more about economies of scale and what it takes to run a business, here’s some extra material you might find helpful.
Here’s an example of an economy of scale in real life: automobiles! Henry Ford started making Model Ts using assembly lines, lowering his cost to make each one and in turn, selling them for less money to customers.
Some businesses stay small, but they still play a huge role in our economy. “On the Farm, at the Market” is a kids’ book about shopping local and the significance of community.
And if your child is interested in starting their own business, check out this episode from our first season on secrets for starting a business.
Thanks for listening to this episode. We’re wrapping up season four, which means it’s time for you to submit more of your money questions. Send them to us using this online form.
An economy of scale means a business has figured out how to make stuff faster and cheaper, and then can grow bigger (and open more stores).
It can be cheaper to make more of something, and the business can charge less for it.
Answers will vary. For example: Prices. Stores with multiple locations may not have one-of-a-kind items. There are more employees working, but they might not get to know you.
This episode is sponsored by Greenlight. (For a limited time, get $10 when you sign up for a Greenlight account at greenlight.com/MILLION).
Million Bazillion: S4 E6 So Many Stores Script/Transcript
Note: Marketplace podcasts are meant to be heard, with emphasis, tone and audio elements a transcript can’t capture. Scripts may contain errors. Please check the corresponding audio before quoting it
(SFX: TRAVELING CAR INTERIOR)
BRIDGET: Ahh, nothing like a spring break road trip! Time to shake off the winter frost and thaw out in our destination: sunny Miami Beach!
RYAN: “See America First” is my motto. And no better way to see America than through the windshield of a car! From that shining Chipotle! To the amber majesty of that Costco!
BRIDGET: They don’t call it “America, the Beautiful” for nothing.
RYAN: And when I’m driving across the country, there’s nothing I like listening to more than the music of The Surf Dudes!
(SFX: RADIO STATIC) (MUSIC: SURF ROCK)
SURF DUDE: (SINGS, THROUGH RADIO) Let’s hop in our Chevy and go to the beach and play in the sand and play at the beach, I’m a surfer dude and you’re my surfer girl. Beach party U.S.A….
BRIDGET: Ooh, time for the market report. Do you mind if I just–
(SFX: RADIO STATIC)
REPORTER: (THROUGH RADIO) And as the Dow Jones industrial average rebounded, market forecasters wonder if the S&P 500 can do the same…
RYAN: Booooorring!
(SFX: RADIO STATIC) (MUSIC: BACK TO SURF ROCK)
SURF DUDE: (SINGS) Let’s eat some sandwiches at the beach. Oh no, my sandwich got some sand on it. That’s ok, I can brush it off… Beach sandwich U.S.A.
BRIDGET: Ok, that’s enough of that-
(SFX: RADIO STATIC)
REPORTER: And now for a long list of stock numbers… 2. 8. 35. 11.
RYAN: Ugh, I can’t stand it anymore!
(SFX: RADIO STATIC)
SURF DUDE: I’m the boogie board king and you’re my boogie board queen… Boogie board USA.
(SFX: RADIO STATIC, STATIONS CHANGE BACK AND FORTH RAPIDLY)
DIALOGUE OVER STATION FLIPPING:
BRIDGET: The report’s not over yet
RYAN: Leave it there
BRIDGET: Stop doing that
RYAN: Driver picks music
BRIDGET: But I’m closer to the radio station
RYAN: Stop touching the radio! I wanna listen to the Surf Dudes!!
BRIDGET: Don’t touch the radio! Keep your hand on the wheel!
(SFX: PASSING CAR HONKS)
RYAN Sorry, didn’t mean to swerve! We’re all good!
BRIDGET: Let’s just play the theme music!
(SFX: RADIO TURNS OFF)
–Theme Music–
RYAN: Welcome back to Million Bazillion. I’m Ryan.
BRIDGET: I’m Bridget. And We Help Dollars Make More Sense…even when we disagree about what to listen to on a long car ride.. Let’s get to today’s question.
WILL: Hi, I’m Will and I’m from Westlake, Ohio. Why are there so many of the same stores?
BRIDGET: What a great observation from Will!
RYAN: [SKEPTICAL] Eh… on this drive across the country, I’m not sure I’ve noticed so many of the same store. Look at that turnoff to our left. There’s a McDonalds, a Starbucks, a Wal-mart, a Dollar Store.. Tons of variety!
BRIDGET: And to our right, there’s a Burger King, a Wal-mart, (GROWING CONCERNED), a Starbucks, another Starbucks. A McDonalds that LOOKS like a Starbucks.
(SFX: EERIE MUSIC)
RYAN: Pfff, that’s just a fluke, look at this next exit
BRIDGET: I see another Dollar Store’! Another Wal-mart! And a Pete’s Coffee!
RYAN: (SIGHS) Ok, well, at least Peet’s is at least a little different!
BRIDGET: Wait, no! They’re putting up a new sign! That Peet’s is now a Starbucks!
(SFX: SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC STING)
BRIDGET/RYAN: Ahhhhhh!
BRIDGET: Ok, so, yeah, Will’s right. There are a lot of the same stores. And we’re going to get to the bottom of why that is! . When we come back!
–Asking Random Kids NOT SO Random Questions–
ANNOUNCER: And now it’s time for Asking Random Kids NOT SO Random Questions. Today’s question is: If you were as tall as a skyscraper, what would you use for money?
RANDOM KIDS: “Big rocks the size of a van.” “I would use clouds for money.” “I would use specially carved boulders.” “I would use houses for money.” “Regular money but in a giant size.” “Brick houses would be like red pennies, green houses would be like dollars, and blue houses would be like Canadian five dollar bills.” “And since it is my currency I would put the faces of me, my mom, my dad and my sister on them.” “If I were as tall as a skyscraper, I would use turtles as money.”
ANNOUNCER: That was Joshua in Denver, Ayla in Springfield Ohio, Teddy in Richmond, Virginia, Mickey in Denver, Conor in St. Louis, and Vishal in Calgary, Alberta. This has been Asking Random Kids NOT SO Random Questions!
Part 1:
(SFX: DRIVING AMBIANCE)
BRIDGET: OK, welcome back to Million Bazillion. Today, Ryan and I are on a spring break road trip across the USA, headed toward Miami Beach, where I can’t wait to sit on the beach and quietly read. In the meantime, it’s my turn to drive and we’re answering the question: “Why are there so many of the same stores?”
RYAN: The further we drive, the number of locations of the same stores we see is… dizzying. Like, honestly, I feel a little sick.
BRIDGET: You’re probably just carsick. Shut your eyes for a minute. Trust me it will help.
RYAN: Well now I just feel dizzy and it’s dark.
BRIDGET: Trust me, it’ll help. Well, at least we’re making good time to our destination of Miami Beach.
RYAN: We are? I actually can’t tell if this car is getting anywhere or we’re trapped in some kind of repeating loop of Chipotle, Starbucks, Wendy’s, Chipotle, Starbucks, Wendy’s. What in the world is going on here?
BRIDGET: Yeah, so all these businesses that have all these multiple store locations, they have something in common.
RYAN: A bathroom code that is “12345”?
BRIDGET: No, they’ve figured out how to make it cost less for them to make more of something.
RYAN: Ah yes, and I know that when a company can make something for less money…they can sell it for less money too.
BRIDGET: Exactly! So they’re saving all this money by making a lot of something instead of just a few, and then they have all these stores, all across the country, where they can sell that stuff.
RYAN: I mean, this sounds like a great idea, why wouldn’t EVERY store do this? Say, what’s the big fancy boring economic term for this. I know you want to say it.
BRIDGET: No I don’t.
RYAN: I know you Bridget, I KNOW you want to say it.
BRIDGET: [FAST] It’s…it’s economies of scale.
RYAN: Economies of scale! Sounds like yet another trick used by greedy businesses to compound their profits! I, for one, refuse to participate in this capitalist rat race-Oh my- Look! There’s a Home Depot! I loooove Home Depot!! Can we pull off the road for a minute? I need to buy some lumber for new shelves!
BRIDGET: You want to buy lumber while we’re in the middle of a 2000 mile road trip?
RYAN: Yeah! It’ll only take up the entire back seat and half of your seat! Let’s go.
BRIDGET: I’m going to say yes because it’s actually a great way to see economies of scale in real life!
(SFX: CAR PULLING OFF FREEWAY)
(SFX: INTERIOR HOME DEPOT-LIKE AMBIENCE)
RYAN: Ahhh, Home Depot. My favorite huge hardware chain store! The lighting! The bathroom fixtures! The paint swatches! The power tools!I can pretend like I’m an actual homeowner here!
(SFX: REVS POWERTOOLS)
RYAN: Say, this sander would be great on my outdoor deck wouldn’t it?
BRIDGET: Put the powertool down! You‘re gonna hurt yourself!
(SFX: TOOL TURNS OFF)
RYAN: Ohh ok, you’re right. I should really check out the chainsaws next!
BRIDGET: No, no, no. How bout we look for the materials you need to build your shelf?
RYAN: Good idea. First thing I’m gonna need are some 3-inch nails.
BRIDGET: Ok, let’s take a peek inside the little nail drawers.
(SFX: NAIL DRAWER OPENING)
BRIDGET: Uh oh, looks like this drawer of 3-inch nails is almost empty.
RYAN: Should I tell that guy over there in the orange apron? He’s got “manager” written all over him. Truly, his apron says “Manager.” Excuse me, sir-
HOME DEPOT MANAGER: (FRAZZLED) Please don’t ask me where anything is. I don’t know where anything is.
BRIDGET: It’s ok, he seems busy. But when that manager goes to order more 3-inch nails, he’s not going just call up the nail factory and say, “hey, I need 100 3-inch nails.” He’s gonna call someone else who works for all the Home Depots– Depotes?- Deposits?
RYAN: Deposes? Home Depi?
BRIDGET: Well, no matter what the plural of Depot is, this is the moment you’re gonna see how these businesses make their size, and number of stores, work for them. See, the manager’s gonna call up Home Depot corporate and say-
(SFX DREAM SEQUENCE SOUND. PHONE RINGING. ANSWER CLICK)
HOME DEPOT MANAGER: Hey uh, we’re running low on three-inch nails here.
HOME DEPOT CORPORATE: Three-inch nails! I love that band!
HOME DEPOT MANAGER: What?
HOME DEPOT CORPORATE: Oh sorry, I’m thinking of something else. What’s your question?
HOME DEPOT MANAGER: Can someone from headquarters send over more three-inch nails?
HOME DEPOT CORPORATE: Oh sure. I’ve been taking orders from all the Home Depots in the area, I’ll call our nail factory. Rock on, man.
(SFX: HANG UP CLICK. PHONE RINGING. ANSWER CLICK)
NAIL FACTORY OWNER: Nail Factory. You nailed it!
HOME DEPOT CORPORATE: It’s Home Depot here. How much do you charge for one 3-inch nail again?
NAIL FACTORY: That’ll be $1 per nail.
HOME DEPOT CORPORATE: And how about if I want to buy ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND NAILS.
NAIL FACTORY: [SIGH]. We do this every time Leslie.
HOME DEPOT CORPORATE: I like hearing what my economy of scale gets me!
NAIL FACTORY: [FLATLY/BORED] You know that when you buy more, it’ll cost you less. So for one hundred thousand nails, we’ll charge you ten cents per nail.
HOME DEPOT CORPORATE: I love it, consider me sold! Once again! We’re buying so many nails, because we have SO MANY STORES, we’re able to get this great deal on them! And then we can maybe charge less for them in our store than a single hardware store who can’t order as many!
(SFX: DREAM SEQUENCE SOUND)
BRIDGET: And that’s how it works. Every Home Depot is going to have the same type of 3-inch nail, so they can order a whole bunch of them and get that economy of scale. And that’s why Home Depot would want to keep opening more stores…the more customers they can reach, the more stuff they can keep selling.
RYAN: Wow, that’s great! But again, I’m asking…why don’t all businesses work like this? Do they not like money?
BRIDGET: Um…I wouldn’t think of it like that. They’re just running their business with a different goal in mind. Like, let’s see if we can find a smaller hardware store in this town…and maybe they’ll have your 3-inch nails.
(MUSIC: TRANSITIONAL STING)
(SFX: FOOTSTEPS. LITTLE BELL ON DOOR THAT RINGS WHEN YOU OPEN IT)
BRIDGET: Ryan, welcome to Holmby Hometown Hardware.. It’s the only one that exists in the whole world!
RYAN: This place is a lot smaller than Home Depot.
GLADYS: (SWEET GRANDMA TONE) Hello, I’m Gladys Holmby. This is my store. Please tell me if there’s anything you need.
BRIDGET: Hi! Nice to meet you! We’re podcasters who answer money questions, and we’re on a road trip.
GLADYS: Did you say “pod”? How exciting! I lived in a “pod” with my grandson and his wife during corona! They just loved it! What are your names?
BRIDGET: I’m Bridget.
RYAN: I’m Ryan.
GLADYS: I just like to know who I’m talking to. [GENIAL CHUCKLE]
RYAN: So I’m wondering- would you happen to have any nails?
GLADYS: Oh yes, Ryan, along that back wall. Let me walk you over there. They’re behind those handmade deck chairs made with local sycamore wood. Nothing stronger. So, what’s your project?
RYAN: I’m building some shelves for a 6th of a trophy I won a few episodes ago.
GLADYS: Oh a trophy shelf, hmm? Well in that case, would you want to get any anchor bolts? I just don’t want that shelf of yours to come down, a smart boy like you. I’m sure you win all the trophies.
RYAN: Ooh, well, yes, I mean it’s really nothing… Uh yeah, I wouldn’t have thought of anchor bolts. I’m so glad we had this chat!
GLADYS: Let me go and get those for you, I’ve just had a new shipment in [VOICE FADES] you know my grandson won a million bowling…
(SFX: GLADYS’S VOICE FADES AS SHE RIFLES THROUGH STUFF)
RYAN: (TO BRIDGET) Hey Bridget I got a question, Gladys doesn’t seem to hate money or she wouldn’t have upsold me on the anchor bolts. If this economies of scale method works so well for some stores, why come all stores don’t do it?
BRIDGET: You mean, how come all stores don’t do it?
RYAN: To-may-to, to-ma-to. Yeah, how come all stores don’t do it?
BRIDGET: Well, that’s a great question. Sometimes it can cost a lot of money for a store to reach economies of scale. Some store owners prefer to stay small. I think Gladys likes having a smaller store. She doesn’t have to manage anyone. She can get to know all her customers and help them out with their projects. Maybe her customers are willing to pay a little more because they like how she does business.
RYAN: Hmm, yeah, no one at Home Depot ever asked us if we needed help. One of the employees asked me if I knew where the bathroom wasAnd we certainly didn’t see any locally made deck furniture like this at Home Depot! Ow, a splinter! Don’t worry, I’m fine. But if having more locations is the best way to make money, Gladys should open more locations right?
BRIDGET: Well, sometimes, people can mess up trying to figure out how to save money by getting bigger. Let’s talk about that…after this little break.
-MIDROLL (CREDIT BREAK)-
Part 2:
(SFX: “STARBUCKS” AMBIENCE)
RYAN: Ok, welcome back to Million Bazillion. We’ve stopped off at Starbucks to regroup. To recap, Bridget and I are on a spring break road trip to peaceful Miami Beach, trying to answer William’s question: “Why are there so many of the same stores?”
BRIDGET: The answer has to do with economies of scale, how businesses get bigger, and can open more stores, if they can make a lot of stuff faster and cheaper than a smaller competitor. These places might be less expensive for the customer, but here’s one drawback. They never know your name.
BARISTA: Order for Ryan! Order for Bridget!
BRIDGET: Ok, Starbucks is a bad example. But generally, bigger chain stores are less personal than smaller stores. Which can be a good thing or a bad thing.
RYAN: Alright, lemme take a sip of my favorite Starbucks drink and we’ll get back on the road.
BRIDGET: I’ve never seen anyone order an entire cup of whipped cream before.
RYAN: It’s called a puppuccino and it’s my favorite drink!
BRIDGET: Isn’t that supposed to be for dogs?
RYAN: Hey you don’t see me making fun of your “green tea!” Pfff, a tea that’s green? What will they come up with next? A pink drink?
BRIDGET: Hey, I’m thinking maybe before we get back in the car, we should pick up some music we both agree on to make this trip a little more pleasant.
RYAN: Ooooh, good idea, let’s buy this CD of Whale Sounds!
BRIDGET: I LOVE Whale Sounds! Wow, who knew they still sell CDs at this Starbucks? And Who would have thought the one CD we can both agree on is Whale Sounds!
RYAN: Heck yeah! Let’s pump those whale sounds and get back on the road!
(SFX: CAR RIDE INTERIOR)
(SFX: THROUGH CAR RADIO, WHALE SOUNDS)
BRIDGET: Oh yeah, these whale sounds REALLY add something special to this drive.
RYAN: Hey, can we pull off again? I drank my drink too fast and I gotta use the bathroom.
BRIDGET: You drank your whipped cream too fast?
RYAN: Yeah, I did. Just pull off at this big department store here! They gotta have a bathroom.
(SFX: CAR CHANGING LANES – FADE OUT)
(SFX: CAR DOORS SHUTTING)
(SFX: SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)
BRIDGET: Whoa, what is this place?
RYAN: What’s that sign say?… S-E-A-R-S. Sears. Oh, it’s a Sears! Perfect.
BRIDGET: (NERVOUS) Ryan, I don’t think we should go in there.
RYAN: Why not, it’s Sears! Everyone knows Sears, right?
(SFX: CREAKY DOOR OPENS)
(SFX: HOLLOW HAUNTED HOUSE WIND WHIRRING)
RYAN: Why is it so dark in here?
BRIDGET: And cobwebs everywhere!
RYAN: And are those sk- ske- ske- skeletons?
BRIDGET: I’m pretty sure those are mannequins, not skeletons. I think this Sears is abandoned! Let’s get out of here.
RYAN: Yeah, let’s scram!
(SFX: TRYING AT LOCKED DOOR)
RYAN: It’s locked! We’re locked in here!
SCARY VOICE: Greetings, friend!
BRIDGET: Ahhh, who are you?
SCARY VOICE: Why they call me, The Phantom of Sears.
(SFX: SUSPENSEFUL STING)
BRIDGET AND RYAN: SCREAM/AHHH
PHANTOM OF SEARS: Don’t leave so soon, friends. It’s been so long since I’ve seen another person in here.
BRIDGET: Uh okay. So tell us, didn’t Sears used to be huge? What happened? Why is this store abandoned?
RYAN: And is there a bathroom?
PHANTOM OF SEARS: I’ll answer those questions in order asked.
RYAN: Aw, shoot.
PHANTOM OF SEARS: Didn’t Sears used to be huge, you ask? Yes.
(SFX: BEAUTIFUL, DREAMY, MUSIC SWELLS)
PHANTOM OF SEARS: Sears used to be the most glorious department chain in all the land, using the power of economies of scale to grow beyond anyone’s wildest dream! Whether you needed a bicycle or boxer shorts, Sears was billowing with bric-a-brac. The stores had ample parking, full air-conditioning, no windows. Sears was a thing of beauty. Why, you could hardly find a suburb without a Sears.
BRIDGET: And then what happened? How’d it get to….this spooky retail husk?
(MUSIC: SYNTHESIZER PLAYS ARPEGGIO)
PHANTOM OF SEARS: Times were changing and, fearful they’d be left behind, Sears abandoned the economies of scale and started trying to sell a whole lot of stuff people didn’t want. That’s the danger for any business that tries to grow into a mighty multi-store company…if they don’t stick to what they’re good at, they might become a store that’s good…
(SFX: LIGHTING CRASH)
PHANTOM OF SEARS: … For nothing!
RYAN: Wow, so if you fail with economies of scale, you fail big time. Is that why this place has so many stacks of plaid capri pants?
PHANTOM OF SEARS: Well, also, they totally bungled it when online shopping came along.
BRIDGET & RYAN: Oohh, right, yeah, that.
PHANTOM OF SEARS: Talk about scale, you don’t have to pay money to open a bunch of stores from coast to coast to sell stuff to people all over the country! You just put up a website! Online, you can go shopping without having to change out of your pajamas.
RYAN: Are we not supposed to be wearing our pajamas right now?
BRIDGET: It’s athleisureware, we’re not going to wear hardpants on a roadtrip, hard pass.
PHANTOM OF SEARS: Some say Sears failed to keep innovating. Some say their money was managed poorly.
(MUSIC: SLOW, DARK MUSIC PLAYS)
PHANTOM OF SEARS: Either way, the company failed.. And most of their stores were either sold off or abandoned. Including… this one. We may never know the true answer why. Though, face it, it was probably Amazon. Ever since their demise, I haunt the aisles of Sears, acting as messenger to all entrepreneurial hopefuls who enter: Like the Roman Empire, let the tale of Sears be a lesson unto you: even the greatest of empires can fall in the blink of an eye.
RYAN: Wow. Heavy. And um, where’s the bathroom, did you say where the bathroom is?
PHANTOM OF SEARS: (SIGHS) Down that corridor, past those mannequins.
RYAN: Ahhh, yes. The harmless mannequins that I thought were skeletons.
BRIDGET: Careful though, Ryan. In spooky scenes like this, the mannequins almost always come to life.
RYAN: I think I gotta risk it. I really gotta use the bathroom.
(SFX: MANNEQUIN PARTS SQUAK. MANNEQUIN ZOMBIES MOAN AND GO “ARRGHHH”)
RYAN: Ahhhh! These mannequins are definitely coming to life! Let’s get outta here!
PHANTOM OF SEARS: Don’t go so soon, friend!
BRIDGET/RYAN: Ahhhhh!
(SFX: CHAINSAW REVS)
GLADYS: Don’t worry! I got this! Get back, you mannequin monsters!
BRIDGET: Gladys from Holmby Hardware!? What are you doing here?
GLADYS: I was here scouting a popup location when I heard what sounded like trouble!
(SFX: REVS CHAINSAW, MANNEQUINS GO “ARGH”)
GLADYS: Now beat it, I’ll keep the mannequins at bay!
RYAN: Thanks, Gladys! We owe you one!
GLADYS: You sure do! Next time you need some hardware, consider buying from a small business!
BRIDGET: You got it! Let’s go!!!
(SFX: FOOTSTEPS RUN, DOOR SLAMS, CAR SKIDS OFF)
(MUSIC: TRANSITION MUSIC)
(SFX: MOVING CAR INTERIOR)
(MUSIC: WHALE SOUNDS)
RYAN: Ok, we made it out of Sears alive and Gladys is ok too. She just texted us pictures of her doing a tiktok dance with the mannequins. Turns out when you ask them their names and get to know them, they’re quite nice. This has been a really weird road trip right?
BRIDGET: But hey, at least we answered Will’s question. When you see a lot of the same store, it’s because that store has figured out economies of scale: they’ve figured out how to make more stuff, for less money. And they’re gonna need more stores to sell all that stuff. But it doesn’t make sense for every company to have a bunch of locations. Some businesses just choose to serve their customers in different ways.
RYAN: And just because a company COULD grow big doesn’t mean it’s going to stay big. There are lots of stories about businesses that didn’t know how to stay efficient or maybe they messed up in other ways. I know, because Gladys keeps texting them to me. Businesses are just run by people who are trying to make choices the best they can, you know?
(SFX: BEACH AMBIENCE)
(SFX: CAR PULLS UP WITH WHALE SOUNDS)
BRIDGET: Oh look at that, we finally made it to our destination, Miami Beach.
RYAN: About time. The whale sounds were fun between Little Rock and Montgomery, but they started to get old by Tallahassee.
(SFX: CAR DOORS OPEN)
(SFX: FOOTSTEPS WALKING)
BRIDGET: Ok, just around this corner, it’ll be time for us to stretch out on the peaceful beaches of Miami. I can’t wait to get some good beach reading done.
(SFX: CHAOTIC AMBIENCE, MUSIC BLASTING, CROWDS MINGLING, GENERAL MIAMI BEACH VIBE)
RYAN: Oh no, what’s going on?
BRIDGET Oh, I totally forgot it’s spring break for everyone else too!
RYAN: This beach is absolute madness!
(SFX: DOG VICIOUSLY BARKING)
BRIDGET: Wow somebody brought a pitbull to the beach!
PITBULL: Yo, it’s me! Mr. Worldwide! Y’all ready to party?
RYAN: Ahhhh, somebody brought Pitbull to the beach!
BRIDGET: I know we’ve just driven thousands of miles, tangled with a phantom, escaped a bunch of zombie mannequins, and did this all while listening to whale sounds ON REPEAT…but I draw the line at crowds when the temperature is over 80! Here let’s get off the beach before things get out of hand.
(SFX: CHAOS SOUNDS FADE LOW IN DISTANCE, FADE UP OCEAN AND BIRD SOUNDS OF PEACEFUL BEACH)
RYAN: (OUT OF BREATH) Ok, that was a close one. At least we found a much quieter beach.
BRIDGET: So listeners, this is our last episode of the season but we’re hoping to come back soon. Keep sending us the questions you have about money! We have a long drive back and we’d love to hear ‘em! You can send them to us through our website, Marketplace.org/Million. Thanks everyone!
RYAN: And have a safe and happy spring break! Or summer break. Or holiday break. Or whatever break you have coming up next, have a good break!
(SFX: WHALE MOAN)
BRIDGET: Ugh, Ryan! I told you I’ve had enough whale sounds! How are you even playing those sounds out here?
RYAN: I’m not playing those sounds! Those whale sounds are coming… from the ocean! Oh my gosh! It’s a REAL WHALE!
(SFX: INSPIRING MUSIC)
(SFX: WHALE SOUNDS)
BRIDGET: Wow, it’s beautiful! It’s inspiring! It’s the biggest thing I’ve ever seen!
RYAN: And what’s that on top? Wait a minute, is that a Starbucks?
(SFX: WHALE)
–CLOSE MUSIC-
BRIDGET: Thanks for listening to this episode of Million Bazillion! If you want to know more about economies of scale, check out the tipsheet for this episode at our website, Marketplace.org/million.
RYAN: And if you sign up for our newsletter while you’re there, you’ll be the first to know when we start our NEXT season, which we hope is soon!
BRIDGET: Oh yeah, so if we didn’t answer your money question this season, send it to us now! That’s Marketplace.org/million.
RYAN: Million Bazillion is brought to you by Marketplace, from American Public Media. This episode was written and hosted by (me,) Ryan Perez. Bridget Bodnar is my co-host and the director of podcasts at Marketplace.
BRIDGET: Special thanks to Santiago Gallino, professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania for helping us answer Will’s question!
RYAN: And thanks to our friends who lent their voices for this episode: Kimberly Adams, David Brancaccio, Antonio Barreras Lozano, Francesca Levy, Drew Jostad, Emily McCune, Jeff Peters, Neal Scarbrough, and Anna Wenger.
BRIDGET: Million Bazillion’s producer is Marissa Cabrera. Jasmine Romero is our editor. Chris Julin is our sound designer. Brian Allison mixed this episode. Our theme music was created by Wonderly.
RYAN:Francesca Levy is the Executive Director of Digital at Marketplace. Neal Scarbrough is the VP and General Manager.
BRIDGET: Million Bazillion is funded in part by the Sy Syms Foundation, partnering with organizations and people working for a better and more just future since 1985. And special thanks to The Ranzetta Family Charitable Fund and Next Gen Personal Finance for providing the start-up funding for this podcast, and continuing to support Marketplace in our work to make younger audiences smarter about the economy.
RYAN: Thanks for listening and learning along with us this season. Marketplace is non-profit, public service media. We count on donations from you to help us plan for the future of this show. So adults, show your love for Million Bazillion by making a donation in any amount today at Marketplace.org/givemillion.
The Ranzetta Family Charitable Fund and Next Gen Personal Finance, supports Marketplace’s work to make younger audiences smarter about the economy. Next Gen Personal Finance is a non-profit that believes all students benefit from having a financial education before they cross the stage at high school graduation.
Greenlight is a debit card and money app for kids and teens. Through the Greenlight app, parents can transfer money, automate allowance, manage chores, set flexible spend controls and invest for their kids’ futures (parents can invest on the platform too!) Kids and teens learn to earn, save, spend wisely, give and invest with parental approval. Our mission is to shine a light on the world of money for families and empower parents to raise financially-smart kids. We aim to create a world where every child grows up to be financially healthy and happy. Today, Greenlight serves 5 million+ parents and kids, helping them learn healthy financial habits, collectively save more than $350 million to-date and invest more than $20 million.
The Sy Syms Foundation: Partnering with organizations and people working for a better and more just future since 1985.
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