Some logistics firms put extra holiday hiring on hold | US construction spending increased in Aug. | Migrant issues at Mexico's border hinder reshoring, trade
Holiday hiring among logistics-related firms such as UPS and Radial appears relatively flat this year amid economic uncertainties and an anticipated holiday spending pullback among consumers. Brian Devine, chief executive of warehouse staffing agency Ignite Industrial Professionals, says warehouse operators are also cutting back on paychecks this year with some offering just $1 or $1.50 more for holiday workers compared to the extra $3 or $4 they gave during the pandemic.
US construction spending rose by 0.5% in August, driven by single- and multi-family housing projects, according to Commerce Department data released Monday. Spending on public construction projects increased by 0.6%, with federal government projects up 7.8%, while spending on private construction increased by 0.5%, with non-residential structures like factories up 0.3% and residential construction up 0.6%.
A group of approximately 500 migrants who arrived in Ciudad Juarez by freight train walk toward the Mexico-United States border to surrender to the Border Patrol to request humanitarian asylum in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on September 26, 2023. (Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
Businesses moving goods from Mexico to the US are grappling with border bottlenecks as truck and rail firms and customs officials curtail routes and crossings due to the surge in US-bound migrants that's been compounded by Mexican protests and an outage of its customs system, writes Paul Berger. Experts say the issue is particularly hindering manufacturers that want to reshore, and logistics executives say last-minute switches at the border are time-consuming and complicated.
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Developing robust and agile supply chain management involves risk mitigation through lifecycle forecasting and planned actions that can minimize downtime and create a competitive advantage, writes Neil Ballinger, EU Automation's head of global operations. Outsourcing management to a third party can help companies source critical components, offer cybersecurity and provide insights into sustainability, Ballinger writes.
While Albertsons, Kroger and Safeway are leaders in digital ordering and fulfillment, the warehouse club segment leads the grocery industry in digital services, according to a joint report from Grocery Doppio, Incisiv and Wynshop. Overall, the report named the 17 brands as providing the best shopping experience as Albertsons, BJ's, Carrefour, Costco, Food City, Hy-Vee, Jewel Osco, Kroger, Loblaws, Martin's, Pick 'N Save, Publix, Safeway, Target, Walgreens, Walmart, and Whole Foods.
Mike Caldwell explains his "empathic marketing" approach and how business-to-business marketers can tailor content and messaging based on different levels of prospect awareness and market sophistication. Caldwell also describes how to develop an emotional understanding of prospects based on the "4Ds of transformation delivery," which are "difficulties," "desires," "dreads" and "dreams."
The public's increased use of AI will continue to shift the power balance to consumers, making them "even more savvy, discerning and quicker to adopt and abandon brands," writes Questus founding partner Jeff Rosenblum. This shift will require marketers to invest in communities and content that help consumers with life and purchase journeys, and create "better products to help people invest their hard-earned dollars more effectively."
Leaders can improve trust and build a sense of connection with their team by sharpening their storytelling skills, listening to stories from those different from themselves and acting on the vision they're unfolding in their narratives, writes Christina Blacken, founder and chief narrative strategist of The New Quo. "You can inspire those around you with a more precise conviction of a vision," Blacken writes.
Debates over companies' social responsibilities date back decades, but Alex Edmans, a professor of finance at London Business School, says the binary argument is too simplistic. Edmans argues businesses' social responsibility is to increase long-term profits, as well as to address external issues, but only when the government has failed and the company has an advantage in solving.
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