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14 Jun 22

Updated: 14 Jun 22

Carolina Wholesale
buys print suppliers

Consolidation: compatible
makers & resellers roll up

CWG International, a subsidiary of Carolina Wholesale Group, announced 3 acquisitions to its $200m in revenues portfolio of compatible printing and suppliers. CEO Larry Honeycutt maintains "its strong portfolio within the imaging supplies channel, allows us to drive new growth and long term profitability” in the face of market decline

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14 Jun 22

Updated: 14 Jun 22

Top papermakers
deluded outlook?

"Strong market" rhetoric?
Profits hiked by high prices

The top 2 Finnish based papermakers have raised their profits guidance for 2022 due to "strong market conditions". Both have benefited greatly from supply shortages (some self inflicted!) and 20%+ inflationary price hikes in a declining market. Both are converting facilities into packaging, closing print paper capacity and taking advantage of short term inflation...

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13 Jun 22

Updated: 13 Jun 22

Create cool hybrid
work experiences

How people work better in
the flexible future of work

Even before Covid some organizations began experimenting with mobile work, shifting ownership for spaces and offering more choice for people to move where they worked based on their activities. Some companies allowed hybrid work, giving employees flexibility to WFH. Now, the practice has become the mainstream even those who believed it wasn’t a fit for them.

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13 Jun 22

Updated: 13 Jun 22

Amazon primes
CA drone drops

After stalled take off in UK

Race on w WMT & Google

Amazon said today it will begin to deliver products using Prime Air drones in Lockeford, California, later this year. It’s the first time it plans to use drones for customer deliveries in the US after stalled efforts to launch in the UK. 

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13 Jun 22

Updated: 14 Jun 22

CNG's Lin-Munroe
adds NJ paper co.

US#2 wholesaler joins M&A
race w Imperial, Envoy etc.

The DAK Group, an investment bank specializing in middle market M&A's, announced the sale of its client’s paper supply business to Lindenmeyr Munroe, part of Central National Gottesman, the $7Bn paper merchanting group 

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12 Jun 22

Updated: 13 Jun 22

Wayfair wayward

on WFH weakness

Home office refurb sales
dive, reversed Covid gains

Bank of America warned that webstore traffic for online home business suppliers Wayfair and Overstock.com  remained subdued in May against very difficult comparisons to a year ago when stimulus checks and a high level of consumer interest in WFH kit and home furnishings propped up demand.

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12 Jun 22

Updated: 13 Jun 22

The Proficiency

I n f l a t i o n Index

+15% average price hikes
boost profits by +30/40%!

The Q1'22 reporting season is complete. Proficiency Index have analysed results and separated out the price inflation element, from real volume performance. HPInc, HPE, ABM, UNFI and Costco were the last  companies to report inflated profits fueled by high price hikes; a total of 90 companies analysed 

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11 Jun 22

Updated: 13 Jun 22

PeRSoNaLiSed
Service with AI

Delivers customer insights
direct for specialist support

Customers now want personalized experiences when they interact with organizations in all facets of everyday life, Personalization makes people feel valued as customers and can make our lives easier, from making faster decisions with product recommendations to receiving more customer service support.

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10 Jun 22

Updated: 10 Jun 22

GDP growth slows
but ahead of 2019

Press recession obsession.
Political or facts motivated?

US/UK Economic Outlook: "GDP growth will slow, but recession to be averted" according to Kiplinger’s latest forecast for the economy. The media, especially CNBC, UK's Times and Telegraph appear obsessed with imminent recession chatter. Yet whilst growth is slowing from Covid recovery spikes in 2021, it's still well ahead of low 'normal' 2019 rates 

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10 Jun 22

Updated: 10 Jun 22

ABM's 'Enhanced
Clean' progresses

Hygienic facility services
contract wins + acquist'ns

ABM Industries, the leading US facilities management services provider reported strong, recovering results in Q2'22 ended 30Apr'22. CEO Scott Salmirs commented on the acceleration in work orders for virus protection and 'EnhancedClean' services plus acquisitions

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