Bloomberg Baystate Business Fried Clam Index (BBBFCI)

Woodman’s of Essex and Bloomberg Radio are teaming up to create a fun, summer economic indicator called the Bloomberg Baystate Business Fried Clam Index, or BBBFCI, a new and exclusive summertime gauge of economic activity measured by the sale of fried clams at Woodman’s of Essex where, in 1916, Lawrence “Chubby” Woodman invented the tasty summer treat.

Each Friday until Labor Day, on Bloomberg Baystate Business (which runs from 5-6pm ET on Boston’s 106.1 FM, 1330 AM, and online at iHeartRadio) host and Bloomberg Boston Bureau Chief Tom Moroney will talk to Maureen Woodman, sales and marketing manager at Woodman’s of Essex. Maureen will offer up numbers and insights into the family’s business as a window on consumer confidence. If more people are willing to spend their hard-earned clams on clams, that tells us something about the health of the Baystate economy.

Listen to the episodes here, and check back for weekly updates:

Baystate Business: GE, Ride-Sharing and Clams (Radio) (June 14, 2019)
– This is the appearance that started it all. Maureen joins the show at 0:55:00, and talks about Woodman’s, the invention of the fried clam, supply issues, and how many clams customers eat in a day during the summer.

Baystate Business: Encore, Barry and Fried Clams (Radio) (July 12, 2019)
– In this episode, starting at 0:45:00, Maureen and Bloomberg Baystate Business debut the Bloomberg Baystate Business Fried Clam Index, or BBBFCI. Maureen gives weekly sales numbers for fried clams, lobster rolls, and clambakes, and compares them to the same week in 2018.