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Some small businesses see silver linings in the janky supply chain

Dec 8, 2021
Smaller companies are more nimble than big department stores, allowing them to take advantage of the situation.
The congested supply chain has a lot of businesses scrambling. In some cases, that’s opened up opportunities for smaller, more nimble operators to fill in the gaps.
Mario Tama via Getty Images

New report says the cost of transporting goods has skyrocketed

Dec 7, 2021
Inefficiencies are driving up demand and costs.
Container ships outside the Port of Long Beach in California.
David McNew/Getty Images

Can you teach an old antiques business new tricks?

Dec 6, 2021
This San Francisco antiques business got its start by looking to the past. Now it's trying to prepare for an uncertain future.
Shippodo Fine Arts in the San Francisco Bay area primarily focuses on Japanese and Chinese antiques.
Photo courtesy of Ryosuke Ueda

Omicron's impact on inflation and supply chains is uncertain

Dec 1, 2021
Fed Chair Jerome Powell says policymakers are monitoring the impact of the variant and are ready to act to address high inflation.
It might be too early to tell how exactly the new variant will impact global supply chains. Above, a trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Nov. 29.
Spencer Platt via Getty Images

Port slowdowns worsen air pollution in neighboring communities

Dec 1, 2021
Portside communities in California have suffered from polluted air for years.
A ferry passes the Port of Los Angeles. Neighborhoods surrounding the port have suffered from pollution linked to transporting massive volumes of goods.
Mario Tama via Getty Images

Consumers, worried about the economy, keep spending anyway

Nov 26, 2021
What's behind the trend and how long it might last?
Consumer spending continues to be strong — but there's a chance emerging variants could change that.
Spencer Platt via Getty Images

Are we headed toward a wage-price inflation cycle in 2022?

Nov 26, 2021
Economist Betsey Stevenson weighs in on fixing the supply-and-demand imbalance for semiconductors and other goods to quell inflation.
A prolonged semiconductor shortage could mean higher prices for goods like cars, adding to inflationary pressures.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

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Wine and liquor makers are facing a glass bottle shortage

Nov 25, 2021
That could mean higher prices or outright shortages of booze for the holidays, the most lucrative time of the year for vinters and distillers.
Partially due to supply chain logjams, wine and liquor makers are paying more for their desired glass bottles.
ViktorCap via Getty Images

Supply chain slowdowns could make it a big year for gift cards

Nov 25, 2021
E-commerce and consumer habits of younger shoppers have made them increasingly popular.
Once considered thoughtless and impersonal, gift cards have become increasingly popular and are expected to be a big seller this year.
Joe Raedle via Getty Images

Why this plant nursery drives cross-country to hand-deliver orders: “There's not a lot of wiggle room”

Nov 24, 2021
Rising freight rates and delayed deliveries are forcing a Wisconsin plant nursery to find ways around the supply chain tie-ups.
Knight Hollow Nursery in Middleton, Wisconsin, specializes in propagations of high-value ornamental trees, shrubs and fruit crops.
Matt Cardy via Getty Images