The Most Important Grocery Store Visit of All Time

The Most Important Grocery Store Visit of All Time

Published: September 5, 2025

Duration: 36:26

Let’s dive into the unexpected legacy of Boris Yeltsin’s 1989 visit to a Houston grocery store. We explore how that moment shaped the Russian leader’s perspective on economic systems and why it's a favorite teaching example in economics classes. It’s a great introduction to consumer choice, abundance, and market economies, thanks to Yeltsin’s astonishment captured on film.

In this episode, we discuss:

* The story of Boris Yeltsin’s 1989 grocery store visit in Houston.

* How the trip challenged his view of command economies.

* How to use this story in an econom...