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Platypus Economics with Justin Wolfers Podcast
The Hidden Pattern in Gas Prices (And How to Beat It) | Diving In

The Hidden Pattern in Gas Prices (And How to Beat It) | Diving In

Platypus Economics with Justin Wolfers vor 1 Monat

0:00

11:21

Oil prices spike and pump signs change almost instantly. But when
crude falls, the savings trickle in slowly — if they arrive at
all. This pattern, known as "rockets and feathers," is real and
measurable across decades of data. But does it prove oil
companies are gouging you, or is something else entirely
responsible?

In this episode, Justin Wolfers breaks down what the data
actually reveal about gas price asymmetry, explores three
plausible mechanisms that could create it — from consumer search
behavior to tacit strategic interaction to supply chain dynamics
— and explains why proving wrongdoing is much harder than
spotting the pattern. Most importantly, he shows you when
information actually matters: not on the way up (bad news travels
fast), but on the way down, where checking a gas-price app or
comparing nearby stations can help you find relief faster than
waiting for the market to deliver it.

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