Tag Archives: Margins

Fracking in the US and guar seed farmer impact in India

An article in the New York Times (July 16,2012) describes how growth in fracking for oil has resulted in increased demand for guar, a water absorbing seed grown primarily in India. With prices rising dramatically amidst growing oil company demand, … Continue reading

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Boeing’s 66th Dreamliner aircraft first to go to preflight from assembly

An article in the Wall Street Journal (June 8, 2012) describes a milestone reached by the 66th Dreamliner aircraft – the first to reach normalized production i.e., go from assembly to preflight testing. That milestone was reached by the Airbus … Continue reading

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Nokia’s smartphone component costs vs Apple’s iphone component costs

An article in the Wall Street Journal (May 31, 2012) describes an estimate by iSuppli that components for the Nokia Lumia 900 cost $ 209 while those for the 16GB iPhone cost $ 190. But the Lumia sells for $ … Continue reading

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Making TVs in Detroit ?

An article in the Wall Street Journal (May 23, 2012) describes a decision by Element Electronics to assemble 46 inch flatscreen TVs, to be sold for $ 499 at Target, in a plant in Detroit. The company claims that the … Continue reading

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Samsung and Sony attempt to enforce their prices at retailers

A Wall Street Journal article (May 23, 2012) describes a move by Samsung and Sony to force retailers to sell at manufacturer recommended prices or risk consequences. These might include loss of financing to market new products or restricted supply. … Continue reading

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Uniqlo’s strategy for low priced apparel

An article in the New York Times (May 22, 2012) describes the Japanese apparel retailer Uniqlo’s low price strategy for T-shirts ($ 9.90) and cashmere sweaters ($ 79.90). The company claims that it does not follow fashion fads but, instead, … Continue reading

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Will parents pay more for US made baby cribs ?

An article in the Wall Street Journal (May 22, 2012) describes a decision by Stanley Furniture to move production of its baby cribs to Robbinsville, NC from China. Four reasons cited are (a) the worries about poor quality products (think … Continue reading

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The logic for making $ 39 hand mixers in the US

An article in the Wall Street Journal (May 22, 2012) describes a decision by Whirlpool to move production of its hand mixers, that retail for $ 39, back to its plant in Greenville, Ohio. This decision was despite US wages … Continue reading

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The direct to consumer farmers market sales

An article in Bloombergbusinessweek (May 21, 2012) describes the move by farmers to sell direct to the consumer in farmers markets – now accounting for 2 % of US farm sales. Since retail prices are often four times the price … Continue reading

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The ripple effect of auto sales on the supply chain

An article in Bloombergbusinessweek (May 21, 2012) describes the growth in auto sales to 2008 levels (14 million) – back to 2008 levels – and its ripple effect across the supply chain. Tooling and ficture manufacturer Apex Tool claims growth, … Continue reading

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