Support the fact-based journalism you rely on with a donation to Marketplace today. Give Now!

Small retailers are caught between order backlogs and ramping demand

Oct 29, 2021
Three independent retailers on how they're dealing with shortages, price increases and high demand.
The interior of one Dean's Sweets location in Portland, Maine. "If we sell more chocolate with a lower profit margin, we're still going to be OK," said co-owner Kristin Thalheimer Bingham.
Courtesy of Kristin Thalheimer Bingham

Business inventories didn't decline as sharply in September. That's good news.

Oct 28, 2021
It means businesses know that consumers want to buy and are working to meet that demand.
A person walks in a partially stocked Ikea on Oct. 15. Consumer demand is high, meaning products often fly off retailers' shelves.
Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images

What the “beer game” can teach about supply chain challenges

Jun 29, 2021
From semiconductors to chicken wings, global supply chains are experiencing whiplash. A Harvard professor explains how to avoid that.
Kegs stacked outside distribution for a brewery in Reydon, England. A supply chain management exercise known as the “beer game” can help illustrate the forces creating shortages across the economy.
Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images

Why business owners are stocking up on inventory

Jun 15, 2021
Supply chain bottlenecks and a booming economy are pushing business owners to create a buffer — even taking out loans to do so.
Many businesses are stocking up on goods to meet customer demands.
Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images

What happens to consumer demand when products are scarce?

Jun 11, 2021
Do you wait? Change your plans? Buy something else?
Amy Sussman/Getty Images

Inflation watch: Shipping container rates and prices soar on U.S. customer demand

Mar 17, 2021
Clogged U.S. ports don't just mean a longer wait time for you, the consumer. They also mean ripple effects for Chinese exporters.
Shipping traffic jams in North American are creating a container shortage in China, where almost all containers are manufactured.
STR/AFP via Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

How trucking offers clues about where the economy’s headed

Aug 28, 2020
Trucking volume offers a glimpse into consumer demand today, and what that demand might look like down the road.
Container trucks arrive at the Port of Los Angeles. Import transportation companies are doing better than most during COVID-19.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

US companies adjust to a more mature Chinese economy

Jul 23, 2015
Some Wall Street investors are leaving as China's growth slows.

Looking for progress for treating Alzheimer's

Jul 22, 2015
Eli Lilly reports the results of a trial for Alzheimer's medication.