The average vacancy rate at US warehouses reached 5.2% in the fourth quarter, surpassing the 5% mark for the first time since 2020 and climbing more than 2 percentage points from the same period in 2022, according to Cushman & Wakefield. However, the rate is still low by historical standards, and rents continue to increase as tenants take new space.

Employers continued to hire steadily in December, with the US economy adding 216,000 jobs, surpassing November's gains and defying expectations. The job market remained a bright spot in a cooling economy, as unemployment held steady at 3.7%, while wages rose by 4.1% year-on-year, offering optimism for a potential soft landing and easing inflation. The data is likely to dampen expectations for a Federal Reserve rate cut in March.

Pennsylvania-based Schaedler Yesco Distribution completed its acquisition of in-state competitor Clarion Electric Supply and its two locations in Clarion and Grove City. Schaedler Yesco now operates 26 locations in Pennsylvania, two in Ohio and one in New York. "Folding Clarion's two locations into our footprint allows us to serve Northwest PA more efficiently and effectively," said Schaedler President Farrah Mittel.

Rick Cohen has taken his experience and connections made while leading C&S Wholesale Grocers to help him build Symbotic into an emerging warehouse robotics company which is now utilized by retail giants Target and Walmart -- the latter of which now has the technology installed at all 42 of its regional distribution centers. While the robots-only system can cost more than $50 million to install and encompass the size of a football field, it can save retailers money while improving efficiency.

Extreme weather events such as hurricanes, wildfires and floods are currently the top logistics disruptor with a billion-dollar event occurring every three weeks and are expected to continue wreaking havoc on supply chains this year, predicts Everstream Analytics. Other significant threats include environmental regulations that drive up administrative burdens and prices, the ongoing trade wars between the US and China, rising geopolitical instability, commodity shortages and cybercrime, which increased 202% year-over-year in 2023.

AI is helping beverage distributors increase efficiency, safety and cut costs, said Tom Moore, founder of ProvisionAI, a supply chain-focused firm. For example, AI can detect the slightest weight difference in beverage containers -- such as a can of Coke versus Diet Coke -- to determine when a truck can carry an extra pallet and save 5% in costs, according to Moore.

This year, 77% of marketers in an Ascend2 study will probably increase spending on artificial intelligence. AI helps 38% with personalization and 34% with ad optimization, 57% say its primary benefit is increased efficiency, and 45% report that they need more expertise to use the technology well.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have announced a deal on a $1.66 trillion spending plan for the federal government, getting ahead of concerns about a potential shutdown. Lawmakers have until Jan. 19 to codify the deal into legislation before some government funding runs out.

A time management matrix divides tasks into four quadrants: important and urgent, important but not urgent, not important but urgent, and neither important nor urgent. "The time management matrix ... is a great way to ensure you're working on the most effective items first," but quadrants shouldn't be overly full, and new tasks shouldn't be added until old ones are completed, writes Kate Daugherty.

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