On Nov. 15, President Biden signed a $1.2 trillion infrastructure package—The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act—that provides historic funding levels to improve public works, including roads, bridges, highways, internet access and the power grid, as well as to mitigate the effects of climate change. The bill does not include funding for social policy, ... READ MORE >
Consumer products holiday season countdown: Help wanted
All industries are grappling with labor shortages and the retail sector is no different. Most retailers have already started ramping up for the holiday shopping season as consumers begin their holiday spending earlier and earlier each year. For instance, at the end of September, according to Bloomberg, Macy’s anticipated hiring 48,000 holiday employees and ... READ MORE >
Chart of the day: Middle of the supply chain feels outsized impact of rising food costs
While U.S. core and headline inflation came in below expectations, according to the latest Consumer Price Index release, it will be well into next year before consumers see this inflation slowdown in their grocery bills and restaurant tickets. Retailers and distributors are continuing to feel the pinch of rising costs throughout the supply chain. The CPI ... READ MORE >
Amid chaos of coronavirus, food and beverage sector continues to adapt
The retail sales figures released this week painted a grim picture of consumer spending and the state of the economy amid the mounting human and economic toll of the coronavirus. But a deeper look at the data reveals some profound changes taking place that will most likely endure once the pandemic passes. While retail sales fell off the table with an 8.7% ... READ MORE >
Coronavirus impact on the consumer products ecosystem
Supply chain In a very short period of time, the COVID-19 outbreak has had a significant impact on economies throughout the world and across all industries and sectors. The earliest stages of the U.S. consumer supply chain are heavily dependent upon China. That means the work stoppage caused by the virus had a significant impact on production of new goods, ... READ MORE >