Manufacturers are looking for alternatives to China. For geopolitical reasons and in response to China's long Covid lockdowns that crimped supply chains, businesses are searching elsewhere for new suppliers. India has become a prime location. In The Wall Street Journal, Aruna Viswanatha reports on India's rise as a destination for manufacturing: BENGALURU, India— In early 2020, as the pandemic was shutting down global commerce, a Pennsylvania company was having trouble getting its usual steel parts out of China. It stumbled on another possible option—in India. Zetwerk, a two-year-old … [Read more...]
Is the Pandemic Retail Boom Finally Over?
Retailers are reporting weakening profits as consumers are "being more judicious in how they spend." Dean Seal reports in The Wall Street Journal: Shoppers have shifted their spending habits in a postpandemic world, leaving retailers in the lurch. The stocks of major retailers have tumbledas storesincluding Macy’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Foot Locker posted slowing sales, weakening profits and tepid forecasts. Their lackluster results offer more evidence that strained consumers feeling the weight of higher debt and increased prices are redirecting their discretionary spending away from … [Read more...]
Walmart Teams Up with Google for Long Distance Drone Deliveries
Two of America's best-known companies are working together on using drones to deliver products up to six miles away from stores. Bloomberg's Brendan Case reports: Walmart Inc. is planning its longest drone deliveries yet by teaming up with Alphabet Inc.’s Wing unit at two Dallas-area stores. The Wing drones will be able to drop off food and household essentials as far as six miles from the stores, Prathibha Rajashekhar, senior vice president of innovation and automation at Walmart’s US unit, said in a statement Thursday. Wing has approvals from the Federal Aviation Administration to fly … [Read more...]
Logistics Industry Looks Beyond China
The world's logistics industry is looking to build facilities and infrastructure in Asia outside of China as manufacturers look to diversify their supply chains away from the country. Oliver Telling and Chan Ho-him report in the Financial Times: The world’s largest shipping and logistics groups are locked in an increasingly intense rush to buy facilities in Asia in a bid to help their customers expand supply chains beyond China. Competition for assets has been fuelled by cash reserves that freight groups worldwide built up when disruption and increased ecommerce spending boosted demand for … [Read more...]
Americans Are Increasingly Delinquent on Their Auto Loans
A mix of high interest rates and inflated prices are creating a weird situation in which, despite high employment, Americans are increasingly defaulting on their auto loans. Ben Foldy reports for The Wall Street Journal: Five years ago, there were a dozen models of new cars that sold for less than $20,000. In 2023, there was only one: the spartan Mitsubishi Mirage hatchback, which accounted for about 5,300 of the 7.7 million new vehicles sold in the U.S. in the first half of the year. If you are willing to spend more than $100,000, you can choose from 32 models. For the average American, … [Read more...]
China Is Attempting to Avoid U.S. Technology Sanctions
According to the Semiconductor Industry Association, Huawei Technologies, the Chinese telecom company that has been targeted with sanctions by many Western countries, is attempting to develop "a collection of secret semiconductor-fabrication facilities across China," reports Bloomberg's Ian King and Debby Wu. They write: The leading association of global chip companies is warning that Huawei Technologies Co. is building a collection of secret semiconductor-fabrication facilities across China, a shadow manufacturing network that would let the blacklisted company skirt US sanctions and … [Read more...]
Can Vietnam Destroy China’s Monopoly on Rare Earth Metals?
China has a near monopoly on rare-earth metals production and processing. Many countries are looking for alternatives to China in their supply chains. Reuters's Francesco Guarascio and Ju-min Park report that Vietnam may be the location of new rare earth projects meant to diversify away from China. They write: HANOI/SEOUL, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Korean and Chinese magnet firms, including an Apple supplier, are set to open factories in Vietnam, according to documents and people familiar with the plans, amid a push to diversify supply chains away from China and defend against Sino-U.S. … [Read more...]
Can IKEA Survive in Downtown San Francisco?
Downtown San Francisco has turned into a "No-Go Zone" for many people, including HHS employees. Many businesses have fled as homelessness and crime spurred on by rampant drug addiction have turned the area into what could be compared to a zombie apocalypse setting. Now, IKEA is planning to put a new location there. Can it work? Trefor Moss reports in The Wall Street Journal: The San Francisco store is focused on “small-space living,” said Akalin, the store manager, meaning products such as lighting, kitchenware and storage units are given priority. There is no furniture warehouse where … [Read more...]
This Summer’s Luxury Yacht Style
In The Wall Street Journal, Rory Satran discusses this summer's luxury yacht fashions. She writes: “When a client comes to the boat, they bring their closet,” said Captain Sandy Yawn, a superyacht captain who appeared on the reality show “Below Deck Mediterranean.” “They want to shine in front of their friends.” Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez have been in prime entertaining mode this summer on Koru, their new $500 million superyacht. Sanchez has been flaunting some aggressively revealing looks to shine for friends including Oprah Winfrey. She and Bezos have been extensively photographed … [Read more...]
German Grocery Chain Aldi Buys Winn-Dixie and Harveys
Southern grocery store chains Winn-Dixie and Harveys have been purchased by Aldi, the German-owned discount grocery store from Southeastern Grocers Inc. Fox Business's Aislinn Murphy reports: Aldi plans to expand its U.S. footprint with the purchase of two grocery chains belonging to Southeastern Grocers Inc. Under an agreement between Aldi and Southeastern Grocers, Aldi will become the new owner of Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket, a pair of grocery chains with about 400 stores in several southeastern states. The two firms announced the acquisition Wednesday morning. Aldi will … [Read more...]
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