ArchiveFM

Macy’s wants to recapture its glorious past. The author of the Wimpy Kid books wants to rebuild his dilapidated hometown. We just want to listen in. (Part two of a two-part series, first published in 2024)
Duration
1h 7m
Broadcast on
28 Nov 2025
Audio Format
other

Macy’s wants to recapture its glorious past. The author of the Wimpy Kid books wants to rebuild his dilapidated hometown. We just want to listen in. (Part two of a two-part series, first published in 2024)

 

  • SOURCES:
    • Mark Cohen, former professor and director of retail studies at Columbia Business School.
    • Will Coss, vice president and executive producer of Macy’s Studios.
    • Jeff Kinney, author, cartoonist, and owner of An Unlikely Story Bookstore and Café.
    • Tony Spring, chairman and C.E.O. of Macy’s Inc.

 

 


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

free economics radio is sponsored by principle the perpetual pen tapper the arbitrary fridge re-organizer the holiday party planner that starts in May principle knows that your star employees have their work quirks principle also knows how much those employees mean to your business you need them they need benefits work with principle so they can help your team with the retirement and benefits plan that's right for them principal life insurance company Des Moines Iowa freakin on the radio is sponsored by lab core on demand how much do you know about the stats that influence your wellness with lab core on demand you have the power to get closer to answers about your health you will get health insights that are accurate easy to understand and ready in just days make health testing your October ritual just visit on demand lab core comms slash freak news code freak to save up to 25 percent off select tests that's on demand lab core comm slash freak and use code freak know yourself freakin on its radio is sponsored by progressive whoever says saving money is hard doesn't know that new customers who bundle and save with progressive save hundreds because switching your home and auto insurance is better than cutting down on the things you love like those ice lattes that help you get ready to face the day so switch your home and auto to progressive and see if you could save and keep sipping away get your quote today at progressive calm progressive casualty insurance company affiliates and other insurers not available in all states free economics radio is sponsored by LinkedIn ads ever invested in something that didn't live up to the hype marketers know that feeling they optimize for the numbers that look great like impressions but then they don't see revenue linkedin has a word for that bullspend instead you can get the highest row as a major ad networks with linkedin cut the bullspend advertise on linkedin spend two hundred fifty dollars and get a two hundred fifty dollar credit go to linkedin dot com slash free economics terms apply hey there Stephen Wner today we're playing the second and final part of our series on the economics of the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade which we first published in 2024 we have updated facts and figures where needed as always thanks for listening I'm Thanksgiving morning roughly 30 million people watch at least some of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV for a lot of them it wouldn't feel like Thanksgiving without the parade in the first episode of the series we spoke with the parade's executive producer will cost I asked him why it is so popular his answer was pure tevia I'd say tradition tradition tradition tradition is at the core it's really about having this thing this giant thing that shows up for you everything's giving morning and it's gonna be a little bit of spectacle a little bit of kitsch a little bit of art it's become a moment in time for all of us to drive back to but even our favorite traditions are not guaranteed their place in the future the Macy's department store has been around for 167 years and they've put on a parade for the past 101 in our previous episode we tried to figure out how much money Macy's spends to make the parade and how much they earn from sponsorships and TV ad sales that was one part of this story that interested us the other part is the future of retail itself or at least the kind of retailing represented by Macy's they like to call the parade their annual gift to the nation which is a nice sentiment but there are two things you should know about that this gift is likely quite profitable for the giver which is unusual also the Macy's parade may be one of the most valuable assets that Macy's still has for most of the 20th century

Transcription truncated.

Macy’s wants to recapture its glorious past. The author of the Wimpy Kid books wants to rebuild his dilapidated hometown. We just want to listen in. (Part two of a two-part series, first published in 2024)