Welcome to the 79th edition of our Newsletter EdGenie's 📜 Sunday Scroll...

Every Sunday I send out actionable tips, tricks and real-world application insights from my 15 year experience coaching students to achieve As and A*s in their Economics A Levels via EdGenie.

Hey Genies, 👋

Essay technique is everything.

You can know all the content inside out, but if you don’t structure your answer correctly, you’ll never hit those top marks.

I see this mistake all the time.

Students dump everything they know onto the page, hoping the examiner will be impressed by the volume of knowledge or they go off onto an irrelevant tangent!

But instead, they lose marks.

Why?

Because A-Level Economics isn’t about what you know—it’s about how well you apply it.

Here’s why your technique matters:

1️⃣ No Structure = No Clarity​
If your essay isn’t logically structured, examiners will struggle to follow your argument. And if they can’t follow it, they can’t award top marks.

2️⃣ Lack of Focus = Missed Marks​
If you write everything you know, without linking it directly to the question, you’re wasting time and missing the key points examiners are looking for.

3️⃣ Weak Evaluation = Capped Scores​
Even if you know all the theories, if you don’t evaluate properly—by testing the argument, specific to the question and application—you’ll never break past 17/25.

Fix It Before It’s Too Late!

This is exactly what I’ll be covering in the 5-Hour A* Economics Essay Writing Crash Course on March 9, 2025.

🔥 Here’s what you’ll learn:

✅ The exact structure for writing a 25-marker that gets full marks​
✅ How to differentiate between different types of 25-mark questions​
✅ How to use diagrams and context effectively in your answers​
✅ The ‘Why What Who’ method for bulletproof analysis​
✅ The step-by-step formula for writing A/A* evaluation​
✅ How to write judgment paragraphs that leave no doubt in the examiner’s mind​
✅ Live practice on the 2025 HOT TOPICAL essay questions!

🚀 This is the difference between an average answer and an A answer.*

If you’ve ever written a 25-marker and thought:
​
"I know my stuff, so why am I not getting 20+/25?"

This is your answer.

Don’t let poor technique cost you marks when it matters most.

Sign up for the Essay Writing Crash Course and master the technique before it’s too late.

📅 Date: March 9, 2025
⏳ Duration: 5 Hours of A* Essay Training
​🚨 Limited Spots Available – Secure Your Place Now!​

See you there.
Best,​
Emre 🚀

📈 Booming Market: The second-hand clothing industry has surged to a $100bn market, up from $30bn-40bn in 2020. The resale market is growing 15 times faster than traditional retail, with second-hand sales projected to make up 10% of global apparel this year.

🌱 Sustainability Appeal: The fashion industry contributes 10% of global CO₂ emissions, surpassing shipping and air travel combined. Many consumers choose resale for environmental reasons, but affordability remains the biggest driver.

💰 Cost Advantage: Second-hand designer items on Vestiaire are, on average, 33% cheaper than new fast fashion, with even bigger savings on coats (64%) and dresses (72%). Analysts estimate $200bn worth of luxury goods sit unused in wardrobes, but only 3% enter the resale market yearly.

🛍️ Resale Made Easier: Platforms like Vinted and Depop have scrapped seller fees, shifting costs to buyers to encourage listings.AI-driven tools are being developed to speed up the selling process and help with pricing and descriptions.

🔍 Authentication Tech: Trust in resale is key, with startups developing innovative ways to verify authenticity.Osmo authenticates shoes by odour, while Ordre creates a “digital fingerprint” for luxury goods.

📉 Profitability Challenges: Many resale platforms remain unprofitable, with The RealReal and thredUp seeing significant stock declines since listing.Vinted is one of the few profitable firms, thanks to investments in logistics, payments, and security.

⚔️ Rising Competition: Traditional resale platforms now compete with major brands like Lululemon and The North Face launching their own resale initiatives.Social media platforms, such as TikTok, are also becoming key resale channels.

 🏁 The Future of Resale: As the market grows, concerns rise over big tech giants potentially disrupting the industry.However, with vast untapped wardrobes, the second-hand clothing boom shows no signs of slowing down. 🚀

Q. Evaluate the extent to which the rise of second-hand clothing markets can be attributed to price elasticity of demand (PED) rather than changing consumer preferences
A. The rise of second-hand clothing markets can be linked to PED, as second-hand goods are more price-elastic due to their lower prices, making them attractive in times of economic downturn. However, changing consumer preferences, including sustainability concerns, also play a role. If price was the only factor, we would expect luxury resale to decline, yet demand remains strong. The extent to which PED dominates depends on consumer income levels and the availability of substitutes.

Q. To what extent does the second-hand clothing industry correct the market failure caused by the fashion industry's environmental impact? Justify your answer with economic theory.
A.The second-hand clothing industry reduces negative externalities by lowering waste and emissions, potentially addressing market failure caused by fast fashion. However, this depends on whether resale replaces new purchases or simply increases overall consumption (the rebound effect). If resale markets encourage more frequent fashion cycles, the long-term sustainability impact may be weaker. Government policies, such as taxes on new fast fashion, could further correct market failure.

Q. Discuss whether increased competition from social media platforms and major clothing brands in the resale market will lead to greater efficiency or market failure.
A. Greater competition in resale markets could lead to lower prices and increased efficiency, benefiting consumers. However, it may also drive smaller firms out of the market and reduce profitability for existing platforms. If large firms, like social media platforms or fashion brands, dominate resale, they may create barriers to entry and reduce innovation. Market failure could arise if monopolistic behaviour emerges, limiting consumer choice.

Q. How might behavioural economic concepts, such as loss aversion and bounded rationality, influence consumer decisions to buy or sell second-hand clothing.
A. Consumers may be reluctant to sell used clothes due to loss aversion, overvaluing items they own. Bounded rationality could lead buyers to choose fast fashion over resale due to perceived convenience, even if second-hand is cheaper. Social norms also play a role—if second-hand fashion is seen as trendy, more consumers will adopt it. Understanding these biases is crucial for resale platforms to encourage participation.

If you or your child are looking to Boost your A level Economics Grades in under 30 days, I'd recommend starting with an all-in-one support network where you get 24/7 access to a SuperTutor:

→ Join EdGenie 🧞‍♂️: Transform your A-Level Economics essays and exam marks (genuinely) with our comprehensive on-demand learning platform. This carefully curated course blends engaging content with effective exam techniques, the same ones that have empowered over 1,000 of my students to achieve an A or A* over the last 13 years.