Monthly Archives: March 2014

Are the simple European Union conflict materials laws too weak ?

An article in The Guardian (March 26, 2014) titled “Conflict minerals: new EU rules simpler alternative to US regulation” describes draft legislation that is voluntary, requires the manufacturer to determine areas that are conflict afflicted and just requires use of … Continue reading

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Will buyers paying a penny a pound more for tomatoes help farm workers ?

An article in ozy.com (January 16,2014) titled “A Penny a Pound and so much more”, describes the push by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to get buyers like Taco Bell, Subway, McDonalds, WalMart and Whole Foods to pay a penny … Continue reading

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Why are lime prices rising in the US ?

An article in the New York Times (March 30, 2014) titled “Is the Lime an Endangered Species” describes many reasons for the rise in lime prices in the US from $25 per 40 pound carton in February to over $100 … Continue reading

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State laws regarding beer distribution and impact on small breweries

An article in the New York Times (March 30, 2014) titled “Free Craft Beer!” describes the franchise rule in many US states that requires beer manufacturers to choose one distributor in a state to distribute their product. The absence of … Continue reading

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Ullmart’s three tier ecommerce distribution in Russia

An article in Bloombergbusinessweek (March 10,2014) titled “In Russia, call it You-Commerce”, describes the company Ullmart, that sells 55,000 fast moving items through a three tier distribution system. The company buys from manufacturers to three warehouses that supply 30 urban … Continue reading

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Penalties for Canadian railways that do not ship enough grain

An article in the Wall Street Journal (March 7,2014) titled “Canada sets Minimum Grain Shipment Targets for Railways”, describes penalties of up to $90,000 if shipments by railways fall below 5,500 railcars a week. This target is significantly greater than … Continue reading

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The business of personalizing IKEA products

An article in Bloombergbusinessweek (February 24,2014) titled “Cry of the Style. Mavens” describes smaller companies that enable customers to personalize their IKEA products. Companies like Bemz provide slipcovers for chairs, couches and beds, and Superfront, that modifies kitchens and wardrobes, … Continue reading

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