Slight signs of economic stability appeared to take hold on the global trade front from October to November, according to data from Panjiva

Slight signs of economic stability appeared to take hold on the global trade front from October to November, according to data from Panjiva.

Following an early October prediction of 2011 holiday sales rising 2.8 percent to $465.6 billion, the NRF is now calling for 2011 to be up 3.8 percent to $469.1 billion. Holiday sales—as defined by the NRF—are sales in the months of November and December.

Shifts in inventory management by retailers appear to have made an impact on import cargo volumes at major United States-based container ports, according to the monthly Port Tracker report by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

With the economy showing some slight signs of growth, the Ceridian-UCLA Pulse of Commerce Index (PCI) was up for the second straight month in November, with a 0.1 percent gain on the heels of October’s 1.1 percent rise.

Manufacturing is indeed making a significant contribution to overall GDP growth and perhaps leading the way.

While the economy is still not in a full-fledged recovery, the situation may not be as dire as it was a month ago, according to the most recent edition of the Ceridian-UCLA Pulse of Commerce Index.

Managing logistics in developing countries presents real challenges—from poor roads and unreliable vehicles to less than ideal warehousing options. When public health is at stake, the logistics issues are even more worrisome.

A consensus that has been oft-repeated lately is that Peak Season is likely to fall short of previously promising expectations. That was one of the main takeaways from a recent report published by the Tompkins Supply Chain Consortium, entitled Peak Season Trends and Strategies Survey Report.

In 2007, SCMR featured an article on Walmart’s burgeoning sustainability program, focusing on eight specific initiatives being undertaken at the company. Four years later, the author of that article, Erica Plambeck of Stanford, and colleague Lyn Denend revisit those initiatives to assess what Walmart has accomplished to date—and what still needs to be done.