Sports and fashion and business collide when you think about how the NBA’s jerseys became its own multi-million dollar business. And it all went down in the ’90s when — thanks to Photoshop and dye sublimation — the league’s uniforms got wilder and the cost to print went down low enough to sell for around $50. Previously, according to 99% Invisible, “If a fan wanted to buy a jersey, they had to pay the full cost of a genuine, stitched NBA game jersey, which was often over $200.” Read more and listen to 99% Invisible‘s full episode here.
After buying Whole Foods last June, Amazon has its sights set on competing with consumer-packaged goods brands like LaCroix, whose parent company, National Beverage, rose 90 percent last year. In September, Whole Foods launched its own sparkling water under its store brand, 365 Everyday Value. The store is offering their version at a serious discount in markets like San Francisco, and it’s available in five flavors including the distinct flavor LaCroix has made popular — grapefruit. Read more in Quartz.
Roseanne Barr + racist tweet = a canceled show. But, what do these kinds of business decisions mean … like ethically? Make Me Smart by Marketplace’s Kai Ryssdal and Molly Wood talked to a business ethics expert as it all went down. Listen to the Make Me Smart episode here.
Is there a certain salary that brings the most happiness? Turns out, the answer is both a yes and a no. According to The Cut, Nobel Prize–winning economists Daniel Kahneman and Angus Deaton found that “once our basic needs are met — lodging, food, etc. — the relationship between money and happiness becomes purely theoretical.” So, making enough money to live comfortably is important, but making more than that doesn’t change much, the economists say. And Yale professor Laurie Santos dives into it in her Psychology and the Good Life course — “the most talked-about college course in America.” Read more at The Cut.
In North America, Adidas is killing its competitors. The company, which has recently introduced even more collaborative lines with stars like Pharrell and famed designers like Alexander Wang, said its first-quarter North American sales grew 21 percent over the previous year while recent sales fell over at Nike and Under Armour. Actually, Adidas sales in that region have increased by 20 percent or more for the past nine quarters. Read CNNMoney’s story here.
A newly released report from the Federal Reserve says, “Four in 10 adults, if faced with an unexpected expense of $400, would either not be able to cover it or would cover it by selling something or borrowing money.” Read the report here, and CNBC’s summary here.