612. Is Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade Its Most Valuable Asset?

The 166-year-old chain, which is fighting extinction, calls the parade its “gift to the nation.” With 30 million TV viewers, it’s also a big moneymaker. At least we think it is — Macy’s is famously tight-lipped about parade economics. We try to loosen them up. (Part one of a two-part series .) Please take our audience survey at freakonomics.com/survey .   SOURCES: John Cheney, carpenter at Macy’s Studios. Will Coss , vice president and executive producer of Macy’s Studios. Jeff Kinney , author, cartoonist, and owner of An Unlikely Story Bookstore and Café. Kevin Lynch , vice president of global helium at Messer. Jen Neal, executive vice president of live events and specials for NBCUniversal Entertainment Tony Spring , chairman and C.E.O. of Macy's Inc. Jessica Tisch , commissioner of the New York City Department of Sanitation; incoming commissioner of the New York City Police Department. Dawn Tolson , executive director of Citywide Event Coordination and Management and the Street Activity Permit Office for the City of New York.   RESOURCES: Macy's: The Store. The Star. The Story. , by Robert M. Grippo (2009). History of Macy's of New York, 1853-1919: Chapters in the Evolution of the Department Store , by Ralph M. Hower (1943). Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade .   EXTRA: The Economics of Everyday Things .  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.