Articles

Vertical Focus

VERTICAL FOCUS: Agriculture/Bulk Agriculture Commodities
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VERTICAL FOCUS: Agriculture/Bulk Agriculture Commodities

AG Outlook: Mixed Both clear skies and stormy weather are in the forecast for the agricultural sector. That’s the mixed-bag conclusion from a September 2022 panel discussion at the Ag Outlook Forum in Kansas City, Missouri. The panel of experts—including Kip Tom, former ambassador to the U.N. Food & Agriculture Organization, and Daniel Whitley, administrator […]

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VERTICAL FOCUS: Perishables
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VERTICAL FOCUS: Perishables

Grain Pain As with many other sectors, transportation disruptions have hit the perishables industry in 2022. The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) released its mid-year status update on transportation systems in the United States—and, as you might expect, the numbers are troublesome. Total grain rail cars loaded and billed dipped slightly, from 381,000 cars in […]

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Vertical Focus: Outdoor Retail
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Vertical Focus: Outdoor Retail

Kicking Up Sustainability VF Corp.—parent company of several outdoor gear brands including The North Face and Timberland—has upped its commitment to supply chain sustainability. David Quass, the company’s new senior director of sustainability for EMEA, has signaled a greater commitment to environmentally friendly concepts such as regenerative agriculture and using recycled materials. The North Face […]

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Vertical Focus – Electronics
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Vertical Focus – Electronics

Robots Traverse New Terrain South Korean technology company LG Electronics unveiled a new delivery robot that can serve both indoor and outdoor environments, which could be a game-changer for contactless delivery and services. The four-wheeled robot can adjust the gap between its wheels to self-adapt quickly to uneven terrain for a smoother ride. Food delivery […]

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Vertical Focus: Footwear
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Vertical Focus: Footwear

China SC Woes Have Footwear Industry Tied In Knots The impact on the supply chain from lockdowns in China was a major themefor footwear retailers in the first half of 2022. Largely reporting lower-than-expected earnings, many major footwear brands pointed a finger at the lockdowns to explain their disappointing performance levels. Strict and extended COVID-19 […]

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Vertical Focus: Electronics

The electronics industry has seen price hikes, supply chain shortages, an increase in global demand, and much more. Here’s the latest Vertical Focus on what’s happening in the electronics industry.

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Vertical Focus: Exercise Equipment
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Vertical Focus: Exercise Equipment

Planet Fitness is one fitness club company that has thrived in recent years, growing from 918 locations in 2014 to more than 2,200 in 2021. FISCAL Fitness Here’s a sampling of statistics about the fitness equipment industry, compiled by RunRepeat and other sources, that helps to illustrate its status today. The fitness equipment industry is […]

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