Blogs

Given the rising concerns over inflation, dwindling personal savings, and perceived instability in the job market, recent surveys have found that consumers plan to reduce their spending on nonessential goods and services. This shift in consumer behavior necessitates that retailers reevaluate their stock to identify obsolete inventory — products that have lost market appeal and no longer contribute positively to revenue. If not addressed, excess inventory can tie up valuable working capital and hinder cash flow, impacting a business's ability to invest in more profitable product lines. Let’s...

By: Paul Dickson, Director of Research and Giri Krishnan, Senior Portfolio Manager Is the check engine light flickering? Economic data has become more mixed with signs of both growth and fragility. If the Fed wants to engineer a “soft-landing,” or perhaps even the elusive “no-landing” scenario we discussed last quarter, it will have to start cutting interest rates sooner rather than later. We look to the September Fed Meeting as the start of a series of rate cuts. The classic description of the Federal Reserve’s job (the Fed) is to know when to remove the punchbowl from the party. The...

It may not always be top of mind, but protecting your personal data is essential to also protecting your money. Data privacy is the practice of keeping digital information protected from unauthorized access—both for individuals and businesses. Personally identifiable information (PII) like Social Security numbers, bank account information, and passwords are valuable assets often stolen through data breaches. When bad actors get ahold of these details, it can lead to fraud and identity theft. In 2023 alone, there were more than 3,000 data compromises affecting over 350 million people, with...

Convenience and personalization are at the forefront of the modern shopping experience. With today's consumers seeking seamless interactions across all platforms, developing a robust omnichannel retail strategy has never been more important. From social media to retail brick-and-mortar storefronts, each touchpoint in an omnichannel shopping journey is a potential opportunity for improving service quality and boosting your return on investment (ROI). By streamlining how these channels integrate with one another, businesses can create a cohesive and engaging customer journey that not only meets...

Driven by supply chain disruptions and the meteoric rise of e-commerce, the warehousing and wholesale business landscape has undergone a rapid transformation in recent years. In this era of unprecedented challenges, business owners face a pivotal decision: invest in expanding physical infrastructure or embrace digital transformation to streamline operations. While expansion may seem like the obvious solution, digitalization offers an immediate and straightforward path to boosting efficiency without requiring substantial capital investments. Here’s how digitalization of warehouse management...