From maker to shop — Economics, 4–6 years
Many things travel through several steps before reaching the person who uses them. Economics, 4–6 years.
A journey has steps
A product often travels from the person who makes or grows it to a place where people can buy it. It may be packed, carried and placed on a shelf. The journey can involve farms, factories, lorries, shops and many workers.
Why does the journey matter?
The problem is that a person who wants an orange may live far from an orange tree. Moving products connects makers and users, but it needs time, fuel, places to store things and people's work. Knowing the steps explains why a shop cannot have every product everywhere at once.
The journey of a loaf
First, a farmer grows wheat. Next, a mill turns the wheat into flour. A baker mixes flour, water and yeast, then bakes the dough. A delivery driver takes the bread to a shop, where it is placed on a shelf for someone to buy.
The shop did not make it all
A common mistake is to think the shop made every product because that is where we see it and buy it. That idea is reasonable: the shop is the last visible step. In fact, the product may have travelled a long way through several people's hands before arriving there.
Where do products travel?
You can notice this journey in a supermarket, a market or a school meal. Look at a label to see where food was grown or made, then imagine the road to your home. The same idea helps explain parcels that travel from a warehouse to your door.
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