Industry Resources

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U.S.Retail Intelligence – July

July 30 – Infomercial King Ron Popeil Dies On Thursday, July 28, the 86-year old succumb to a brain hemorrhage at a Los Angeles hospital. From: Kitcheware Today July 30 – Amazon Forecasts Slower Growth as it Laps Last Year’s Insane Online Sales Gains Pandemic infused growth will revert to the mean. But more interesting is, did it match with the overall retail slowdown?…

California Bill Would Place New Requirements on Cookware

A bill in the California legislature, California Assembly Bill 1200 (AB 1200), would place new requirements on cookware sold in that state containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS. Introduced in March 2021 by Assemblyman Phil Ting, the bill would actually address two supply chains by prohibiting the use of PFAS chemistries in food packaging beginning on Jan.…

Supply Chain Woes Continue

The shipping environment is wreaking havoc on US importers trying to get products into their supply chains prior to the upcoming holiday season. To make matters worse, there is no end in sight to the shipping turmoil facing shippers. Logistic experts are predicting the current turmoil will last at a minimum through February 2022. Shippers have been left wondering how Asia to…

The Employee Retention Credit (ERC) Explained

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act signed in March 2020 created a new Employee Retention Credit (ERC) for employers who: Had operations partially or fully suspended as a result of orders from a governmental authority due to Covid-19, orExperienced a decline in gross receipts by more than 50% in a quarter compared to the same quarter in…

All Facets of US Supply Chain in Turmoil

Finding container space is not the only problem facing US importers. Once a container arrives at the marine terminal to be off loaded, the shipper can expect a stack of new problems. Port congestion, chassis availability, truck power, and rail capacity are just a few of the issues preventing cargo from moving freely to US distribution centers. Port congestion has…

U.S. Retail Intelligence – June

June 28 – Albertsons’ Vivek Sankaran sizes up state of grocery post-pandemic FMI Midsummer session spotlights trends that will stick and those that might not. From: Supermarket News June 28 – Inside the Herman Miller x Knoll Merger Things are moving faster than expected. BOH looks at who’s in, who’s out, and the background of a deal that almost didn’t happen. From:…

Container Space Has Reached Crisis Stage

Experts predicted that finding space on containerships was going to be a challenge for shippers during the 2021-22 contract period. However, no one predicated the severity that the space crisis is currently having on supply chains across the US. To make matters worse, the lack of container space has not peaked yet. The space problem is going to get a lot worse before it gets…

U.S. Retail Intelligence – May

May 30 – What's New About Lidl's New CEOMichal Lagunionek, among other newly arriving U.S. execs, brings a strong track record and new support to a job that’s only still beginning, sources say. From: Winsight Grocery Business May 28 – Burlington Stores Ramps Up Merchandising CapabilitiesThe off-price retail company recently signed a lease to double the square footage of its…

Supply Chain Issues Add to Economic Concerns

As the United States looks to sustain its economic recovery to pre-pandemic levels and beyond, there are potential warning signs that this might not go as smoothly as hoped. For example, though job openings climbed to a record 8.1 million in March, pointing to a surging labor demand as the economy reopens, many companies are struggling to fill those positions. Some…