The Hidden Markup Journey: How a Product's Price Compounds Before It Reaches You
When a product's price rises at the retail shelf, the explanation most consumers receive is a single word: inflation. But that word collapses a far more complex sequence of decisions, constraints, and strategic choices made across multiple supply chain layers. Tracing the actual cost journey of a product from raw material to checkout reveals that not all price increases are created equal—and knowing the difference has real consequences for business decision-makers and consumers alike.