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Atlanta-based United Parcel Service announced rate increases to take effect on November 2, in time for holiday shopping. UPS will increase its fuel surcharges and will double its rates to deliver oversize items. Both UPS and FedEx are increasing rates and other charges about 5%. Separately, the US Postal Service is also asking regulators to... Read more »

The US Spending Monitor decreased 3.8 points in September, reaching its lowest point in 2015 and the lowest point since August 2014. Retail spending index decreased to 3 points under the 12-month average. The decrease comes with increased negative views on the economy, spending and personal finances. Over 60% of respondents rated their personal finances... Read more »

Vera Bradley enjoyed its best quarterly results in nearly five years, beating analysts’ expectations in Q2 2015.  Analysts predicted an 11-cent share profit, which Vera Bradley exceeded with a 15-cent share profit, and saw its sales increase 1.5 percent to $120.7 million. The company expects profits this year to land between 72 and 78 cents... Read more »

The Home Depot is officially opening a third facility to support its online business. The new 1.6 million facility in Ohio will employ 500 employees and will support its online operations that currently account for 5% of its business and continues to grow. Home Depot also announced plans in October to open its Marietta Technology... Read more »

The latest Consumer Fuels Survey results show that lower gas prices are not changing consumer buying behavior. Gas prices fell $.25 per gallon in September and $.60 since July. However, only 15% of consumers surveyed say they will spend more on non-fuel items in the coming month. Declining gas prices are not increasing consumer optimism... Read more »

Staffing agencies for logistics companies and retailers are reporting having trouble hiring warehouse workers to stock holiday inventory. The need for warehouse workers has grown as online shopping sales have increased. Increased online ordering raises the difficulty of warehouse jobs requiring more picking, packing and higher volume work in the warehouses. Companies have had to... Read more »

A new survey by HRC Advisory indicates that 80% of retailers are not prepared to transform their supply chains for a customer-centric, omnichannel model. 95% of retailers said their biggest issue is mitigating online returns, which can run as high as 30% and are very costly for a retailer. The high cost of online returns... Read more »

The Consumer Spending Report US Spending Index increased 1.7 points in September. 28.7% of adults surveyed rated the US economy as excellent and 30.3% said it is getting better. There was a divide between Democrats and Republicans: 56% of Republicans felt the economy is getting worse, while Democrats had a much higher percentage believing the... Read more »

Belk’s board of directors unanimously approved a merger with Sycamore Partners, expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2015. Belk agreed to be 100% acquired in a transaction with an estimated value of approximately $3 billion. Founded in 1888 by William Henry Belk, Belk is the largest family-owned and operated department store in... Read more »