The producer price index was up 0.2% in October compared with the prior month and rose 2.4% from the prior year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A measure that strips out the food and energy categories gained 0.3% for the month and 3.1% on a year-over-year basis.

Unionized dockworkers and port operators restarted labor negotiations in an effort to reach a new contract before the current one expires in January. Discussions continue to be contentious due to disagreements over the use of automation. The International Longshoremen's Association argues automation threatens jobs, while the United States Maritime Alliance representing employers says automation is necessary. The USMA on Wednesday said no progress was made on automation in the first two days of labor talks.

Air Liquide is planning to spend $150 million to expand the Tennessee production capacity and pipeline infrastructure of subsidiary Airgas, a gases, industrial and welding supplies distributor based in Pennsylvania. The Airgas expansion will supply LG Chem with oxygen for its new cathode active material plant and is expected to be commissioned in 2027.

US Foods is advancing its digital transformation by leveraging mobile technology and AI to enhance sales growth and operational efficiency, leading to increased sales and net income in the third quarter. The company's mobile app, MOXe, plays a central role in its digital strategy, and the app is now used by a majority of customers after its introduction in 2022.

United Natural Foods has launched a three-year growth strategy called "Fuel the Future" to add value and enhance efficiency for suppliers and retailers, says Louis Martin, president of wholesale, noting that, "it's important to get better every day. I've always felt that no matter how smart we think we are, we always reserve the right to get smarter." The plan focuses on initiatives such as the UNFI Insights program, a retail media network and distribution center optimization while also emphasizing sustainability and support for new brands.

Dirty data is a major challenge for companies, with 54% citing it as a barrier to data-driven marketing success, writes Kevin D'Arcy, founder of ThinkFuel. D'Arcy recommends conducting a data quality audit, creating a scorecard to prioritize cleaning efforts and using automated data enrichment tools. "Dirty data doesn't just drain a company's marketing budget, it actively sabotages its efforts," D'Arcy writes. "Companies that invest in maintaining clean, actionable data will outperform their competitors -- that's a fact."

AI search is evolving rapidly with Google, ChatGPT and Perplexity leading the way, offering more personalized and human-like interactions. Google has integrated shopping ads into its AI Overviews, while Perplexity plans to sponsor related questions. Marketers are advised to increase their brands' social and digital activity to leverage AI's content density preference.

President-elect Donald Trump has appointed Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead the proposed Department of Government Efficiency. The newly created advisory effort will "provide advice and guidance from outside of government" and ways to "dismantle" bureaucracy and cut regulation and spending.

Encouraging employee engagement should be a central principle to increase retention, say supply chain experts including Scott Berkman, chief procurement officer at Elior North America, who discusses the importance of hiring trainable people with good attitudes and work approaches. Companies have to invest in management training, says Simon Rakosi, technology company Butterfly.ai's co-founder and CEO, referring back to the company's survey that detected dissatisfaction with the general work environment and the perception that there were not many chances to grow.

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