Shippers remember all too well the chaos and congestion that engulfed US West Coast during the 2014-2015 labor contract negotiations between the ILWU (International Longshore Warehouse Union) and the representatives for the steamship lines. It took the threat of getting Washington DC involved before the parties agreed to a contract. By the time the contract was finally signed,…
CONTINUE READINGAugust Currency Outlook
In their August 2017 Currency Outlook report, Tempus, an exchange rate and global payments company, provides a detailed report including the following topics and sections: In Brief US GDP growth lower than anticipated US Dollar weakened against major currencies such as Canadian Dollar and Euro Stock indexes thrived, hitting all-time records Euro-zone economies…
CONTINUE READINGExport 101: Understanding Pricing
Pricing: Where to Begin Developing an export pricing strategy is one of the most important and complicated aspects of selling overseas. There are many factors to take into consideration when setting prices including your company’s export objectives, market dynamics, costs associated with exporting the product, and sales strategy. When considering your company’s export…
CONTINUE READINGGlobal Retail Intelligence – August
To follow is a brief review of retail news from around the world: August 28 – Nordic Retailer, H&M Launches New Store, Arket The first Arket store that features fashion and home products opened in London on Regent Street and the company has launched the online store. Additional store openings are planned for Copenhagen, Brussels and Munich. From Business…
CONTINUE READINGHardware Store Update from the Japan DIY Industry Association
Information provided by the Japan DIY Industry Association shows remarkable development in the sales and number of DIY stores/home centers in Japan since the first DIY store was opened in the country over 40 years ago. There are now over 4,500 DIY stores/home centers in Japan with annual general proceeds reaching 3.95 trillion yen. Annual general proceeds & number of DIY…
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