Warehouse jobs contract while trucking stabilizes | Durable goods, travel prices fall but food costs still rising | Ace Hardware reports upbeat Q3, 170 store additions in 2024
Warehouse and storage-related jobs dropped by 8,100 in October, marking 16 of 17 months of declines and one flat month following the pandemic surges, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. The trucking industry experienced a seasonally adjusted increase of 700 jobs following four months of volatile swings that experts say may indicate a new stability.
End-consumer prices are finally starting to dip to their pre-pandemic levels or even lower on a range of goods after an inflationary interlude thanks to the easing of supply chain constraints and staffing issues. Price reductions on durable goods can be attributed to smoother import flows and a reduction in consumer demand post-pandemic, while prices for food continue to grow.
Ace Hardware reported upbeat third-quarter earnings and sales amid higher traffic from cost-conscious customers, and the company also announced plans to add 170 new US locations in 2024. "This type of economy drives people a bit more to the core of our business model to fix, repair, preserve, replace and protect what people have," said CEO John Venhuizen.
Modern Distribution Management (tiered subscription model)
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Optimizing ecom and B2B distribution
When Southwire, a major supplier of electrical products, was looking to optimize ecom and B2B distribution, Lucas Systems helped them do it to the tune of a 30-50% increase in ecommerce productivity and a doubling in lines per hour. Read about it now.
Yellow has reportedly rejected an offer from Next Century Logistics that would revive the company in a limited capacity but not likely cover the cost of its bankruptcy case. The plan, which would bring up to 15,000 former Yellow workers back on the job, "represented the only opportunity to save tens of thousands of good-paying jobs. That always was and continues to be our focus," says Sarah Amico, who presented the bid to a group representing the defunct company's lower-ranking, unsecured creditors.
After fours months of contract talks over wages and safety conditions more than 1,100 DHL Express ramp workers went on strike Thursday at the shippers hub at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. DHL Express says it began diverting cargo ahead of the strike and adding staff to handle the shift in volume and is prepared to resume talks in January.
Third-party vendors are essential to supply chain management, but it's equally essential for procurement managers to protect the company from financial, operational, reputational and cyber risks. AI can help procurement managers mitigate that risk by quickly finding and rectifying threats, accurately detailing the threat and reducing human error when it comes to tracking risk.
State of the Wholesale Supply Chain Industry As complex customer demand patterns and increasing volatility persist, supply chain organizations are recognizing they may require cutting-edge technologies like machine learning to achieve their goals. Blue Ridge's solution helps businesses improve forecast accuracy, reduce costs, increase profitability, lower transportation costs and eliminate obsolescence. Find out how
Consultant Steve Woodruff talks about how business-to-business marketers can be better "communication designers" and the importance of "information stratifying" instead of simply bombarding prospects with too much information. Woodruff explains four rules and eight tools to help B2B marketers effectively get their point across.
Old creative, frequent messaging, hard selling and over saturation are among practices that can lead to advertising fatigue that's typically evident by declining click-thru and engagement rates and a rise in unsubscribe requests, writes Leslie Licano, Beyond Fifteen Communications co-founder. Licano offers eight tips to help avoid ad apathy, such as ensuring promotions are reaching the right audience, trying new visuals and ad formats and personalizing wherever possible.
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Federal Reserve policymakers face a crucial decision at this month's meeting on when and by how much to cut interest rates, with consequences for households, markets and the 2024 presidential election at stake. Policymakers must carefully balance the risks of acting too slowly -- causing economic turmoil -- and acting prematurely -- letting inflation remain above a 2% target -- in a unique landscape in which inflation is slowing but uncertainty looms.
If you're feeling overwhelmed or burned out at work, adjusting your routine by breaking large tasks into smaller ones, rewarding yourself for successes and removing distractions can all help increase your productivity, writes career coach Caroline Castrillon. Changing your outlook by focusing on the meaning in your work, cultivating community in the workplace and shifting your inner dialogue can also help you get a new burst of motivation, Castrillon advises.
Experience three days of excellent networking opportunities, cutting-edge content, and educational programming for leaders in the wholesale-distribution industry at NAW's Executive Summit Jan. 30 - Feb. 1. Hear from world-class speakers and explore issues critical to the industry. Be prepared for what's next and learn new strategies to get there first. View agenda and registration information here.
