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These are the best new articles, videos, podcasts, and other resources we have found to teach perfect and monopolistic competition. They bring economics to life by showing students real-life examples and current events.
 

News Articles

(Listed from most recent to oldest)

IKEA sales fall for second year as retailer makes aggressive price-cutting push | Reuters (Oct. 17, 2025)
Ikea has increased prices in the US, but globally its slashing prices as sales fall and consumers cut back on spending.

Many small businesses have already raised prices, or plan to soon | Marketplace (Oct. 14, 2025)
Small businesses are feeling the squeeze to raise prices due to increased labor and materials costs, but these small, traditionally price-taker firms are worried price hikes will drive away their customers, making matters worse. Hat tip: Brian Lynch

Domino’s Pizza is about to look — and sound — a lot different | CNN Business (Oct. 8, 2025)
Domino’s is refreshing its image for the social media era with a tiktok friendly jingle and updated pizza boxes fit for instagram. Riding a sales high from the release of parmesan stuffed crust, will Domino’s new marketing strategy differentiate it sufficiently from rivals to give it an edge?

Have chicken strips become the fast-food panic button of 2025? | Sherwood News (Oct. 1, 2025)
Wendy’s, Taco Bell, and McDonald’s are all competing for customers by rolling out variations of chicken tenders.

Walmart is still king of Retail America as Target sales continue to slide | Sherwood News (Aug. 22, 2025)
Walmart and Target are relatively close competitors, but Walmart looks to be pulling ahead, even with its first quarterly revenue miss since 2022. Target sales are sliding, and tariffs impact approximately half of inventory. Walmart’s inventory is only 30% imported, enabling the retailer to price lower than its competitor.

China auto market price war stokes fears of industry shake-out | Reuters (May 27, 2025)
China has 169 automobile companies, most with under 1% market share. But these smaller companies lack the economies of scale to match the low prices BYD is currently offering.

Weight Watchers files for bankruptcy amid refocus on GLP-1 drugs  | Quartz (May 7, 2025)
GLP-1 drugs are safe and effective for people who are trying to lose weight. But their side effects may include market disruption and bankruptcy (for competing weight-loss companies).

US plans to triple small-parcel shipping fees could unravel Shein and Temu’s fast-fashion dominance | Sherwood News (April 9, 2025)
Trump is closing the de minimis loophole for packages under $800 entering the US, and increasing fees for those goods.

Lego is stacking more sales than ever, but profit margins are under pressure | Sherwood News (March 12, 2025)
In 2003, Lego was nearly bankrupt, facing a 30% drop in sales. Then, the company hired its first outside CEO, partnered with new brands for collaboration kits, movies, TV shows, and video games, enabling the retailer to drive revenue growth.

Honda, Nissan move to deepen ties, sources say, including possible merger | Reuters (Dec. 18, 2024)
Can a merger create enough economies of scale to help Honda and Nissan compete effectively with BYD and Tesla in electric vehicles?

Kmart shoppers bid a wistful farewell to the last outpost of a once-beloved ‘mainstay’ | CNN Business
Creative destruction brings innovation and also destruction. The last full-size Kmart is closing, as Amazon and other services displace the traditional retailer whose stores contained an enormous variety of every-day products.

Prime Day isn't just for Amazon anymore | Vox (July 15, 2024)
Prime Day faces competition from retailers including Walmart and Target, who chose to schedule sales promotions earlier in the summer.

The fruit inflation forgot: Bananas remain affordable as food prices spike | Axios (March 1, 2024)
Bananas are a competitive, price-taker market.

Texas Roadhouse is beating Outback in the steakhouse rodeo | Quartz (Feb. 23, 2024)
Restaurant competition is heating up as inflation-stricken consumers choose to eat at home more often, but foot traffic is increasing at Texas Roadhouse.

How a 40-ounce cup turned Stanley into a $750 million a year business | CNBC (Dec. 23, 2023)
A masterclass in product differentiation–limited release colors and social media promotions have turned Stanley tumblers into a distinctive product commanding $45 and grown company revenues 10x.

Hoka sneakers: Why these chunky, ugly running shoes are selling like crazy | CNN (Feb. 1, 2023)
Looking to update your product differentiation examples? Hoka’s chunky running sneakers are commanding a premium as they soar in popularity.

Cocoa farmers in Africa and Latin America bear the cost of keeping chocolate cheap | The Globe and Mail (May 12, 2023)
Cocoa farmers haven’t succeeded in raising prices despite many attempts. This (very long) article details the harsh realities of cocoa farming as a price taker.

Inside the Complex World of Fragrance Dupes | Allure (March 1, 2023)
As the technology to copy fragrances has become more widespread, more companies pop-up claiming to offer near copies of well-known, expensive fragrances at a fraction of the cost, ratcheting up competition in the perfume market.

NYC bakery launches “The Supreme,” a new croissant pastry that’s gained viral fame | FoxBusiness (August 28, 2022)
A croissant or a donut? Or a croissant-donut hybrid with a crumbly topping and filled with ganache crème? How did the Supreme pastry become a sensation and help a NY bakery attract customers? This article could be used in discussions of monopolistic competition, trademarks, and supply and demand.
Resource: Worksheet
 

Videos

Intro to the Competitive Firm | MRU
Alex Tabarrok covers the basics of how companies survive in a perfectly competitive environment.

The Invisible Hand | izzitEDU
Bring Adam Smith’s words to life with this video about the efficiency of markets.

Podcasts

How a Hoverboard Gets Made | Planet Money
When perfect competition is so strong, no one even knows where an innovation comes from.

Due To New California Law, Uber Allows Some Drivers To Set Their Own Rates | NPR 
Allowing drivers to set their own rates, forces them to compete with each other. This story includes a great description of the reality of price taking in a competitive market.

How to make it in the food truck business | Planet Money Episode 366
Robert Smith chronicles what competition looks like in the food truck business and, not surprisingly, a large part of the answer comes down to location, location, location.

Additional Resources

Multiple-Choice Questions | MRU

Perfect competition simulation | Economic-games.com

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