Prevolio
MarketsClassroom · multi-user

Market Day — Run a Stall on the Square

Every player runs a stall on one town square, selling to a shared crowd. Each market day you chalk a price, order stock (paid up front), and pick marketing; the crowd splits by who's cheapest, loudest and most trusted, unsold stock spoils, and a sold-out stall watches its customers walk to a rival.

You’ll learn: Feel why your price is relative and your stockout is your rival's sale: order stock before you know demand, and the whole square can over-order and eat the spoilage together.

Teacher guide

Students will learn to

  • See how a shared crowd splits across stalls by relative price, marketing and reputation — not absolute effort.
  • Live working capital as a bet: stock is paid for up front, before you know how big the crowd will be.
  • Understand the two ways to waste money — over-order and eat the spoilage, or under-order and hand customers to a rival.
  • Learn that a sold-out day is a small reputation hit, so the reliable stall wins more of the crowd over the game.

Before the session — ask

  • Two stalls sell the same drink side by side. What makes a shopper pick one over the other?
  • You must buy your stock this morning, before you know how many people show up. What could go wrong?
  • If you sell out by noon, is that good or bad? For today — and for tomorrow?

After the session — discuss

  • Who ran out of stock, and which rival picked up the customers they turned away?
  • Who over-ordered and spoiled stock? What did that cost them versus a stockout?
  • When a rival undercut the square, what happened to everyone's margin?
  • Did the most reliably-stocked stall end up with the best reputation and the most customers?

Timing

  • Briefing & a tour of your stall4–6 min
  • Six to ten market days18–25 min
  • Final standings & debrief8–10 min

Run it with your class

Students join with a code or QR — no account needed. Teachers start a session from the dashboard.

Join with a codeFor teachers

Why is your price relative and your stockout a rival's sale?

Market Day puts every player behind a stall on one town square, selling to a shared crowd, and it turns two textbook ideas into felt experience. The first is that price is relative: the crowd splits toward whoever is cheapest, loudest, and most trusted, so what matters isn't your price in the abstract but your price compared with your neighbours'. Undercut them and you draw the crowd; get undercut and you watch customers walk away. The second is the timing problem of inventory. You must order stock and pay for it up front, before you know how many customers will actually come — that's working capital tied up in goods. Order too much and unsold stock spoils, a pure loss; order too little and you sell out, then watch your would-be customers walk to a rival — a stockout that becomes someone else's sale. Between these sits break-even and margin: your price has to cover the cost of the goods and still leave something. And because everyone orders before demand is known, the whole square can over-order at once and share the spoilage. It's a vivid lesson in competition, cash flow, and decision-making under uncertainty.

How the simulation shows it

Every player runs a stall on one square, each market day chalking a price, ordering stock (paid up front), and picking marketing while the shared crowd splits by who's cheapest, loudest, and most trusted. Playing it shows why your price is relative and your stockout is a rival's sale — and how ordering before you know demand risks spoilage or selling out.

Common misconceptions

Frequently asked questions

Why is my price relative?
Because the crowd splits toward whoever is cheapest, loudest, and most trusted, your sales depend on your price compared with your rivals' — not your price on its own.
Why is ordering stock risky?
You pay for stock up front, before you know demand. That's working capital tied up in goods; if too few customers come, unsold stock spoils and the money is lost.
What is a stockout and why does it matter?
Selling out before the crowd is served. It's costly because those unserved customers walk to a rival, so your stockout becomes the competition's sale.
What is spoilage?
Unsold perishable stock that loses its value at the end of the day. Because stock is bought up front, over-ordering turns into a direct loss.
How does break-even fit in?
Your price must cover the up-front cost of the goods and leave a margin. Below break-even you lose money on each sale; the challenge is pricing to compete while still covering costs.

Related concepts