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State of the U.S. Travel Goods Market
TGA
There’s some good news in TGA’s newly compiled 2019 sales figures for the travel goods segment, with total sales up 4.0% over 2018. Backpacks lead the way, with handbags and personal leather goods helping lift the numbers for overall growth in spite of the ongoing challenge of China tariffs. Get the full scoop in the article, State of the U.S. Travel Goods Market, in the pages of the all-digital Travel Goods Showcase.
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The U.S.-China Trade War Quietly Escalates
AXIOS
Lost amid headlines about the coronavirus pandemic and the seemingly unstoppable stock market rally has been the months-long escalation of tensions in the U.S.-China trade war – and it’s likely here to stay. The tariffs continue to impress a sizable tax on U.S. companies and consumers, adding additional costs and red tape for small businesses, farmers, manufacturers and households trying to stay afloat amid the pandemic. READ MORE
U.S. Imposes Sanctions on 11 Chinese Companies Over Human Rights
THE NEW YORK TIMES
The move, which affects suppliers to major international brands such as Apple, Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger, could force companies to sever some ties to China. READ MORE
U.S. Airlines Face End of Business Travel as They Knew It
BLOOMBERG
U.S. airlines hammered by the catastrophic loss of passengers during the pandemic are confronting a once-unthinkable scenario: that this crisis will obliterate much of the corporate flying they’ve relied on for decades to prop up profits. READ MORE
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Target, Walmart, CVS Partner to Reimagine the Retail Plastic Bag
PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE
Target has teamed up with Walmart, CVS and other retailers to reinvent the standard retail plastic bag. Earlier this week, Target Corp. announced it joined the Beyond the Bag Initiative that aims to identify, test and implement viable alternatives to the traditional plastic retail bag. READ MORE
How Social Values Are Impacting Consumer Behavior
NATIONAL RETAIL FEDERATION
As the pandemic continues, the economy slows and a national reckoning around racial injustice comes to the forefront, more and more companies are publicly taking a stand on social issues. But how do consumers feel about companies that speak out about their values? Do shoppers really care what a retailer stands for? According to Rachel Bonsignore, a senior consultant at GfK Consumer Life, they most certainly do. READ MORE
Painting an Airplane: Why Every Layer Counts
CNN
The emergence of a dynamic and competitive private airline sector opened the floodgates of creativity when it comes to aircraft liveries: from the bright, eye-catching colors favored by low-cost carriers to the intricate one-off designs with which some airlines choose to delight aviation enthusiasts every now and then. READ MORE
Podcast: Travel Loyalty is Changing Because Consumers Are Changing First
SKIFT
Loyalty experts are scratching their heads to try and figure out what a points-driven world looks like when nobody can spend those points. Listen in for a few innovative ideas that could help lead the way. READ MORE
Epidemiologist Says Time Isn’t Right for Travel’s Restart
TRAVEL WEEKLY
As destinations, particularly in the Caribbean, begin to reopen to tourism, some are requiring travelers to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test. It’s proving to be a hassle that deters travel. And that’s just as well, according to epidemiologist Debra Furr-Holden, associate dean for public health integration at Michigan State University. She said that because coronavirus is not under control in the U.S., the country isn’t ready to resume travel. READ MORE
5 Tips for Managing an Underperformer – Remotely
HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW
While a majority of employers believe that that their employees will return to their workplaces after COVID-19’s impact diminishes, working from home isn’t going to disappear. The reality is that a huge number of people were already working from home (almost 10 million workers in the U.S. in 2019); that number is only likely to rise post-pandemic. As the manager of a remote team, you can’t afford to ignore underperformance from remote workers, whether they’re temporarily at home, working in local branch offices, or half a world away. READ MORE
Persona Marketing Finds Its Place in Pandemic Retailing
PYMNTS.COM
With more companies trying to catch up to Digital 3.0, the issue of audience identification becomes critical. Pre-pandemic versions of traditional customer segmentation have been set back by changes in the fortunes and preferences of the general population. A better way to go might be the more recent digital marketing development: personas. READ MORE
Extending Cruise Ban, the CDC Slams Industry for Spreading Coronavirus
THE NEW YORK TIMES
In a scathing order extending the current “no sail” order on U.S. cruise lines, the CDC said it spent 38,000 hours managing the outbreaks on ships. The agency said there were 99 outbreaks aboard 123 cruise ships in U.S. waters alone, the agency said in the statement. From March 1 until July 10, 80% of the ships in the CDC’s jurisdiction were affected by the coronavirus. The agency said there had been nearly 3,000 suspected and confirmed cases and 34 deaths on ships in U.S. waters. As of July 3, nine ships still had ongoing or resolving outbreaks. READ MORE
Train Station Employee Stops Bike Thief – Then Stays 4 Hours After Work to Wait for the Owner
GOOD NEWS NETWORK
“I heard the sound of a lock being snapped and I didn’t think twice. I said ‘You’re not taking that’. I couldn’t let that happen,” Abdul El-Gayar, 31, told PA News. “Voices were raised a little – I said ‘It’s not your bike’. The guy eventually gave up and walked off. I put the bike into safe storage because the lock had been broken.” Even though El-Gayar’s workday had ended, he then chose to wait until the bicycle’s owner came back – and it took four hours. READ MORE
TRENDING ARTICLES
Missed last week’s issue? See which articles your colleagues read most.
- Hazmat Suits for Air Travel Are Here (BLOOMBERG)
- Is It Time for Another Round of Extensions for Airline and Hotel Travel Certificates? (THE POINTS GUY)
- With Retail Reopening, Demand for Contactless Technology is on the Rise (GLOSSY)
- I Visited Cancun Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic – Here’s What It Was Really Like (TRAVEL + LEISURE)
- Emergency Grant Program for Small Businesses is Out of Money (CNBC)