Category Archives: Afternoon Coffee
H&M Halts Production of Angora Items, Intelligentsia Coffee’s Supply Chain, Sock Subscriptions
Innovative supply chain practices have allowed Intelligentsia Coffee to cut the time it takes for coffee beans to go from field to cup from months down to as little as six weeks—and produce a better cup of coffee. And H&M is temporarily ceasing production of items containing Angora wool, following the release of video footage showing inhumane treatment of rabbits in China, where much of the global supply of Angora is produced. Afternoon Coffee brings you the latest news in supply chain, procurement, and the lowdown on what all the cool kids are buying.
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Fracking Leading to Sand Boom, Apple Buys Topsy Labs, Sprayable Caffeine, Cyber Monday
Fracking has created a strong demand for sand, with energy companies expected to use 56.3 billion pounds of sand this year. Yesterday's Cyber Monday was the biggest online shopping day in history, up 18.2% in online sales compared to Cyber Monday 2012. Meanwhile, Apple has made a purchase of its own: Topsy Labs, a social media analytics firm. Afternoon Coffee brings you the latest news in supply chain and procurement, as well as cool new start-ups (read on!).
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Amazon’s Ambitious Drone Delivery Service, Lackluster Black Friday Spending, Fast-Food Wage Protest
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos unveiled a drone delivery service, named Amazon Prime Air, that may be ready for customer use by the end of the decade. Black Friday spending was lackluster this year, marking the first spending decline on a Black Friday weekend since 2009. Afternoon Coffee brings you the latest news in spending and procurement.
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23andMe Ordered to Stop Genetic Screening Marketing, Pecan Shortage, L.A. Judge Rules Against Sriracha
The F.D.A. has ordered 23andMe to immediately stop marketing its genetic screening service, citing concerns regarding the public health consequences of inaccurate results. And on West Coast America, an L.A. judge orders Sriracha to cease operations partially at its Irwindale, Calif. factory to cut down on the fumes that residents claim are irritating to their eyes and throats. Afternoon Coffee brings you the latest procurement and supply chain news.
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Apple Supplier Accused of Worker Rights Violations, Black Friday Trickery, Consumer Sentiment at 7-Month Low
The WSJ breaks down the process retailers follow to offer deep discounts and still achieve their goal profit margins. It goes without saying that it's pretty ethically ambiguous, but perhaps retailers this year need to pull out all the tricks they have. Consumer sentiment has not rebounded from the plunge in October and is currently at the lowest level since April. Afternoon Coffee brings you the latest news in supply chain, procurement, and spending.
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Employers May Pass More Healthcare Costs to Workers, Wal-Mart Names McMillon as New CEO
As a result of the Affordable Care Act, employers are preparing for an influx of insurance plan participants, shifting more costs to employees. Meanwhile, there are new faces at BlackBerry and Wal-Mart. Two of the former's top executives are leaving the company, and Wal-Mart gets a new CEO. Afternoon Coffee brings you the latest news in procurement and business.
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Samsung to Pay Apple $290M, FCC Proposes In-Flight Cell Phone Use, Everyone’s Buying Gift Cards
According to the National Retail Federation, gift card spending will reach an all-time high this year, with more than 80 percent of shoppers planning to purchase at least one. Does no one know anyone anymore? Or are we just buying too many presents? Friday Latte brings you the latest news in supply chain and procurement, lighter version.
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J.C. Penney’s Shoplifting Problem, October Consumer Spending Rose, Pay Tuition with Bitcoin
J.C. Penney’s removal of sensor security tags from its merchandise has been a boon for shoplifters, who took a full percentage point off the company’s profit margins during the quarter ended Nov. 2. The University of Nicosia, the largest university in Cyprus, is now the first accredited university in the world to accept Bitcoin for tuition payments. Which is a clever thing to do, as it takes an inquisitive mind to even understand what this Bitcoin thing is. Afternoon Coffee brings you the latest news in supply chain and procurement.
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New Safety Standards for Bangladesh Factories, Turkey Economics, Home Depot’s Supply Chain
When your employees cannot afford a Thanksgiving feast, do you raise their wages or hold a food drive? It's all very philosophical, but one Walmart in Ohio is actively holding a Thanksgiving food drive for its employees. No, it's not some elaborate ironic performance art. Afternoon Coffee brings you the latest news in supply chain and procurement.
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Meatpackers Protest Stricter Labeling Rules, JPMorgan and Feds Agree to $13B Settlement
U.S. meatpackers are protesting the new federal labeling rules that require more information on the origins of beef, pork, and other meats, including the countries in which the animals were born, raised, and slaughtered. And J.P. Morgan Chase and the Justice Department have agreed on a $13 billion settlement, the largest ever between the government and a corporation. Afternoon Coffee brings you the latest news in supply chain and procurement.
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E2open Achieves ISO 27001 Certification, Turkey Shortage, Google Used Unauthorized Tracking Cookies
Congratulations to E2open, the first dedicated, cloud-based supply chain SaaS vendor to achieve ISO 27001 certification, an internationally recognized standard of information security. Afternoon Coffee brings you the latest news in supply chain and procurement, and highly relevant to our American readers is the news that there may be a turkey shortage this year. Well, there's always rotisserie chicken, $7 at your local supermarket.
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Produce Packaging Demand to Grow 3.3% Yearly, USPS Fiscal Year Loss Narrows to $5 Billion
Consumer demand for convenience is driving up the demand for produce packaging, estimated to grow 3.3% a year through 2017. And don't miss this interview with Contraqer (Spend Matters and Public Spend Forum get a mention!) on "Federal Tech Talk." Friday Latte brings you news in procurement and supply chain and McDonald's acknowledgement of excess.
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