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On this episode of Holding the Line: A Logistics at a Crossroads Podcast, Gia peels back the glossy sticker on “Pay in 4” culture and asks the question nobody wants to answer:

What happens when financing groceries becomes the norm… not the exception?

We trace the story from old-school blue lights and layaway lines to the new digital shadow of Buy Now, Pay Later — a system that’s smooth, pretty, and quietly rewriting the rules of debt.

Gia takes you through:

🔹 Debt the shapeshifter — from K-Mart layaway tickets to rent-to-own traps
🔹 Why BNPL exploded after the pandemic — frozen wages, rising costs, and survival math
🔹 The psychology behind installment culture — how “four payments” numbs the pain of paying
🔹 When groceries need financing — the moment convenience becomes crisis
🔹 Phantom debt — invisible micro-loans that stack until they snap
🔹 The supply chain connection — how household debt shifts demand, freight, and retail decisions

This is Part One: How we got here.
Part Two? Who pays for it — and how the ripple hits logistics.

If you’ve ever split a grocery bill into four… or watched port volumes dip for reasons no analyst can quite explain… this episode is the thread that ties it all together.

Gia’s here, navigating the crossroads with you — one truth, one trend, one tough conversation at a time.

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📬 Want to connect?
Find me on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/reginahunter
Visit the blog: giakat.blogspot.com