The Handbag Merger That Sparked Debate: AI Critiques FTC v. Tapestry

This episode turns to the FTC’s attempt to block the Tapestry (Coach) and Capri (Michael Kors, Kate Spade) merger. The central fight was over how to define the relevant market—a narrow “accessible luxury” segment or something much broader?Using AI, we critique the expert report’s data choices, market framing, and economic analysis, then see how it stacked up against the court’s real-world assessment. This episode explores brand differentiation, consumer behavior, and the challenges of merger review in consumer goods. It’s a fascinating case that reveals a lot about current FTC strategy.Read the full article and the graphic analysis:Explore more visual economics content:EconWorksYouTubeSubstack This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit blog.econworks.com/subscribe