Driscoll’s figured out how to sell us a seasonal fruit during the entire year. As a result, annually, they ship four billion containers to 60 countries.
They also know how to charge us more.
Strawberry Competition
Strawberry experts would tell us that there are many different kinds of strawberries. And indeed, berry seller Driscoll’s does the research and development that is supposed to develop new kinds of berries. But to most of us, like tomatoes and potatoes, all strawberries are alike. Still though, by labeling every container with its name, Driscoll’s differentiates its strawberries.
The result has been a pretty strawberry with okay taste. As Driscoll’s tells us, the berries with better taste were less resilient. “They were too soft, too susceptible to disease or their shelf life was too short. They weren’t red enough for consumers or efficient enough for harvesters. Or there weren’t enough of them.” According to a Driscoll’s CEO, “We threw out the absolute sweetest, best-tasting berries that we had in our whole gene pool…”
Now though, Driscoll’s has begun to offset the negative correlation between sweetness and yield. Called the “Sweetest Batch,” a pricier and more limited version of the strawberry is in our grocery stores.
Our Bottom Line: Competitive Market Structures
Most potatoes and tomatoes look and taste like other potatoes and tomatoes. So too do broccoli and asparagus and mushrooms. As a result, they compete in a perfectly competitive market structure. With perfect competition, businesses tend to be small with no pricing power. Instead, because many sellers and many consumers interact to determine price and quantity, the market is the boss. Equilibrium price tends to drop when profits rise because market entry is so easy that the allure of profitability erases it through increased supply.
Consequently, price drifts toward the producer’s costs. Below, when price was higher, it attracted new producers. However, their elevated profits rapidly diminished as the extra supply pushed equilibrium downward:
Driscoll, though, through its branding could avoid the downside of perfect competition. Instead, it has a position further to the right along our market competition scale even though all strawberries are pretty similar. On a competitive market continuum, Driscoll’s occupies a position that is far from perfect competition. At the right side of monopolistic competition, its strawberries reflect the blend of perfect competition with identical products but also something that is unique–the monopoly part:
And now, especially through the “Sweetest Batch,” Driscoll’s proved its pricing power and its true exit from the powerlessness of perfect competition.
My sources and more: Thanks to the NY Times for inspiring today’s post. Next, from WSJ we leanred about the newer sweeter strawberries Driscoll’s developed. Please note that several of today’s sentences were in a past econlife post.
Anchorage is Alaska’s gateway city, with more enplanements than the rest of the state combined. Chances are, if you’re cruising Prince William Sound or Kenai Fjords, taking a bush plane to see bears at Katmai, riding the rails to Denali, or heading deep into the interior, you’re coming through Anchorage.
Last summer, we spent a full week in Anchortown between adventuring in McCarthy and cruising from Juneau. Looking to save a little money and curious how far we could push the idea, we decided to explore Anchorage completely car-free.
What we found was a city that quietly excels at “Only-in-Alaska” experiences without ever needing a rental car.
Stay Central
Anchorage is America’s third-largest city by area; bigger than Rhode Island and nearly the size of Delaware, yet home to just 290,000 residents. Instead of endless sprawl, it’s a surprisingly walkable downtown wrapped in parks, greenbelts, and mountain views.
If you’re planning a car-free visit, downtown is non-negotiable and the Hotel Captain Cook is the place to anchor yourself.
It’s Anchorage’s only Preferred Hotel, with five distinct in-house restaurants, rooms that overlook Cook Inlet or the Chugach Mountains, complimentary airport shuttles, and a location just a 15-minute walk from the Alaska Railroad Depot. It makes arriving, exploring, and leaving town effortless.
Dine Local
Downtown Anchorage has many restaurants within walking distance, but these stood out during our stay:
49th State Brewing A beloved Alaskan brewpub serving northern favorites like yak burgers. It’s popular for a reason! Call ahead and add your name to the waitlist.
Wild Scoops Alaska’s ice-cream scene is serious business, and Wild Scoops leads the charge with small-batch flavors made from local ingredients. Their Fort 49 patio location is dangerously convenient.
Simon & Seafort’s Saloon & Grill You don’t come to Alaska and skip the seafood, and nowhere beats the Cook Inlet views at Simon’s.
Ride the Rails
The Alaska Railroad is more than transportation; it’s an adventure. Better yet, the Anchorage Depot is only a 10–15 minute walk from the Hotel Captain Cook, making it one of the easiest car-free connections in the entire state.
From there, you can ride north to Denali and Fairbanks or hug the coast down to Whittier and Seward. The scenery is breathtaking, especially from the GoldStar Service cars with their glass-dome ceilings.
Interpretive guides narrate the journey, pointing out towering peaks, sprawling glaciers, and the stories of fortunes made and lost along Alaska’s iron highway. Some services even include whistle stops that allow you to step off the train and explore remote wilderness that cars simply can’t reach.
Blue Water Kayak on Spencer Glacier
Spencer Glacier is accessible only by train, and Chugach Adventures has an exclusive partnership with the Alaska Railroad for morning drop-offs.
We boarded the Coastal Classic Train in Anchorage, met our guides in Girdwood, and then bounced down a gravel road in a bus that looked like it came straight out of Into the Wild. At the lake, they outfitted us with kayaks, paddles, and life vests before sending us across mirror-still water, weaving through glowing blue icebergs toward the glacier itself.
After lunch, we boarded the Glacier Discovery Train, passing through Grandview and tunnel country before a whistle stop at Grandview Glacier—another short hike, another jaw-dropping view. By evening, we were back in Anchorage. Zero car keys required.
Flightsee to Knik Glacier
Trains aren’t the only way out of town.
Rust’s Flying Service has been operating from Lake Hood, adjacent to Ted Stevens Airport, for more than 50 years. They offer narrated seaplane flightseeing tours and provide shuttle service from downtown hotels.
Our flight to Knik Glacier included aerial views of Anchorage, the Chugach Mountains, and a smooth landing on a glacial lake. We spotted Dall sheep from the air and drifted beside ancient ice that had never once felt the heat of a road.
Go on a Guided Adventure
Guided tours remove the guesswork and open doors you didn’t even know existed. Many operators pick up from the Egan Center downtown, making them perfect for car-free travelers.
Lifetime Adventures runs mesmerizing multi-sport trips to Eklutna Lake, where the water glows an unreal shade of glacial blue.
Go Hike Alaska offers specialty hikes throughout the Chugach Mountains. We joined them on their Backcountry Eats & Foraging Treats trip, learning to identify edible fungi and berries before cooking a backcountry feast of mushroom risotto and fresh salmon. Educational, edible, unforgettable.
Ride the Tony Knowles Trail
The Tony Knowles Coastal Trail stretches 11 paved miles from downtown Anchorage to Kincaid Park, hugging the coastline with views of Denali on clear days and frequent moose sightings if luck is on your side.
We rented e-bikes from Pablo’s Bicycle Rentals near Elderberry Park and cruised past Westchester Lagoon, Earthquake Park, and up to Point Woronzof, where jets lift off right overhead. The gentle hills were effortless with pedal assist, though next time we might rent mountain bikes just to explore Kincaid’s forested trail maze.
Visit the Museums
Anchorage punches well above its weight when it comes to cultural institutions.
The Anchorage Museum blends art, science, and history to tell the story of life in the North. A short shuttle ride away, the Alaska Native Heritage Center offers immersive programs, traditional games, and powerful storytelling from Alaska Native communities.
The Heritage Center runs a free downtown shuttle every summer, making it easy to include without ever opening a car door.
Take the Trolley
Anchorage Trolley Tours is the perfect one-hour orientation to the city, covering highlights like:
Earthquake Park
Lake Hood Seaplane Base
The Alaska Railroad
Captain Cook Monument
Every ticket includes a coupon book with savings at 40+ nearby businesses, making it a smart first stop for maximizing a car-free stay.
Freedom From Car Keys
Anchorage surprised us, not because it was easy to visit without a car, but because it was better that way.
Moving through the city on foot, by bike, train, plane, and trolley slowed us down in all the right ways. We noticed more. Talked to more people. Let Alaska’s rhythms set the pace instead of a GPS.
And here’s our biggest takeaway: don’t treat Anchorage like a layover city.
Build in a few extra days at the beginning or end of your Alaska trip and use Anchorage as your adventure basecamp. From glacier kayaking and flightseeing to coastal bike rides and world-class museums, this city quietly delivers some of the most memorable experiences in the state, without ever opening a car door.
So leave the rental car line behind. Pack your walking shoes, trust the rails, and let the Last Frontier show you just how far you can go without ever turning a key.
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Attractions/Activities:
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Want to learn a city from the ground up? Take a small group walking tour with Walks – 5-star rated with a Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence
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Hi! We are Jenn and Ed Coleman aka Coleman Concierge. In a nutshell, we are a Huntsville-based Gen X couple sharing our stories of amazing adventures through activity-driven transformational and experiential travel.
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