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Groundwork Collaborative

All articles tagged with #groundwork collaborative

economy19 days ago•33 min saved

Tiny Frictions, Massive Price Tag: The $165 Billion Annoyance Economy

A Groundwork Collaborative report labels a growing “annoyance economy” costing Americans at least $165 billion annually in junk fees, cancellation headaches, and time-draining spam. It details charges from subscription hurdles to healthcare admin tasks and pervasive robocalls/texts, arguing these frictions boost corporate revenue (14%–200% in some cases) and erode trust. The piece urges policy fixes—modernizing the TCPA to curb robocalls, simplifying online claims, creating a healthcare “sludge unit,” and strengthening FTC/DOJ enforcement—to reduce wasted time and money and rebuild public trust.

via Common Dreams|

#consumer-financial-protection-bu #corporate-greed #data-for-progress

businesseconomics2 years ago•3 min saved

"Study Links Rising Prices of Toilet Paper and Snacks to 'Shrinkflation'"

A study by progressive economists has found that "shrinkflation," where companies charge the same or more for smaller portions of products, has been a significant driver of inflation in various categories such as household paper products and snacks between 2019 and 2023. This practice has contributed as much as 10% to inflation in key product categories, prompting calls from lawmakers and President Biden to address it. The study also highlighted examples of companies using shrinkflation to boost profits, with one CEO noting that consumers are unlikely to change their buying habits even if they realize they're paying more for less.

via HuffPost|

#businesseconomics #consumer-prices #groundwork-collaborative