More Details

Summary:

"In this program host Libby Potter travels around the world as she takes a meaningful look at the economics behind the inexpensive goods for sale in big-box stores and malls. Cost-cutting through supply chain management and waste reduction, economies of scale achieved by shipping offshore-manufactured goods to market via super-container ships, the Wal-Mart effect, and the no-frills philosophy of IKEA are addressed. The triumphs and woes of China, in its role as a manufacturer for the world, is given special attention, and the clothing industry is presented as a case study of the cheap goods cycle. But the program also considers the hidden societal costs of cheap goods, such as sweatshop labor and the environmental impact of cavalier overconsumption, and questions how much longer prices will continue to drop as China's standard of living rises"-- Films for the Humanities & Sciences web site.

Table of Contents:

• Chapters: Introduction
• Are today's prices really cheaper?
• Are falling prices a problem?
• The Walmart effect
• From Sweden to Shenzhen: the no-frills revolution
• Containerization & fast fashion
• The real cost of cheap goods
• Is the cheap bubble about to burst?

Contributors:

Potter, Libby , reporter

Telling, Leo

Films for the Humanities & Sciences (Firm)

British Broadcasting Corporation

Open University

Languages:

English

Language Notes:

Item content: English

Related Works:

Money programme (Television program)

Alternate Titles:

Subtitle on container: Why the real cost of goods keeps going down
Original BBCW broadcast title: Addicted to cheap

Subjects:

Economies of scale

Retail trade

Discount houses (Retail trade)

Wal-Mart (Firm)

Ikea (Firm)

Genres:

Online media

Internet videos

Performers:

Presenter, Libby Potter.

Production Credits:

Camera, Jonathan Young, Paul Cox, Mark Johnson ; editor, Damian Leask ; assistant producer, Samuel Goss ; executive producer, Paul Woolwich.

General Notes:

Originally co-produced by BBC and The Open University as a segment of: The money programme.
Gift: University of North Texas.School of Merchandising and Hospitality Management, September 2008.
Streaming Media
Video On Demand
Digital format: Restricted to the University of North Texas System.
Digital format: Electronic reproduction. Denton, Texas : UNT Media Library, 2009. Digitized and made available by UNT Media Library from film distributed by Films Media Group.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (1 video file (60 min.)) : sound, color

Audio Characteristics:

digital

Digital Characteristics:

video file

Call Numbers:

Online Video

Other Standard Numbers:

Publisher Number, Films for the Humanities & Sciences: 39028

OCLC Numbers:

1053344330