748 B
748 B
Butcher Trade
Definition
The commercial activity of slaughtering and selling meat, which Smith identifies as a brutal and odious business that nonetheless offers higher profits than most common trades due to its disagreeable nature.
Source Chapter
Book I, Chapter 10
Context
Smith uses the butcher trade as an example of how disagreeable employment affects profits of stock as well as wages of labour. This illustrates his principle that the unattractiveness of certain businesses to potential entrants allows those who do engage in them to earn above-normal returns.
Economic Domain
Distribution