If You Build It, They Will Come

Infrastructure:? Paving the Way to Future Strength

For the past couple of months, the new leadership in the United States has been pushing to get a $3.5T (15% of GDP)? infrastructure bill passed. This week, it appears that it will likely happen in a similar form to what was drafted.? This foundation of this infrastructure deal will support America’s growth and competitive position for the next 10 or 20 years. But spending on infrastructure is not an easy sell. The last major push was during the depression when Franklin Delano Roosevelt pushed to invest over $41.7B (adjusted for inflation) , putting millions of people to work and literally paving the way for more growth in commerce. At the time the New Deal (30% of GDP).? Little maintenance (comparatively) has happened in those 90 years and the US has a plague of infrastructure disadvantages that hurt its competitive edge in our global economy.? In 2017, FedEx, the third largest delivery company in the world, mentioned that poor roads in America resulted in tires being damaged twice as fast as they were 20 years prior.? In Oakland, California, home of the third biggest port in the US, the City couldn’t adequately fill all the potholes, allowing “vigilantes” to do it themselves.

Businesses that are growing quickly would be smart to invest now in their infrastructure. The coming retail season promises to be a wild one.? While many brick-and-mortar stores were closed in 2020 due to the pandemic, even with the more contagious Delta variant threats of additional lockdowns, quarantines and staffing shortages in China, though it seems that lockdowns will be less restrictive this time around. With billions of people having been vaccinated, it is likely that governments, who can’t ask business to shut down like last year, will allow people who are either tested or vaccinated to continue their (masked) way.??

Challenges remain for the next 6-12 months, or more. Many retailers who are already low on inventory, will likely have large swings in their purchase orders, delivery times and delivery costs. Well capitalized and forward thinking brands have likely already ordered their Q1 2022 orders with their factories in Asia and are looking for alternative factory locations that mitigate geopolitical tension. With all these changes and add some anticipated inflation into the mix, brands will need to decide whether they can absorb those costs, pass them on to the consumer, or a mix of both. One of the lessons we sometimes have to remind our clients is that operations come before sales.? In fact, they enable them and now it is more important than ever to look to the future to make sure your resources are aligned with your goals.

New trends in health and recovery:?Laser Therapy for accelerated cell regeneration and recovery??

Consumers and health practitioners are taking control over pain and injury. In a time when people are looking for alternatives to painkillers and/or surgery, BioFlex Laser Therapy offer the highest quality laser products with tested protocols for managing pain, repairing injuries and healing wounds. Professional athletes like Jerome Williams and physicians all over the world attest to their success. If you would like to evaluate a unit, please contact us.

Product Launches: Naboso Splay - $15/€15

The latest product from Naboso is the Splay, a perfect impulse purchase to add to anyone’s recovery kit. The Splay is intended to realign toe position and restore overall foot shape. By stretching the small muscles of the toes, Splay toe separators help to improve balance, stability, gait and posture and can be worn with or without shoes, whether you are relaxing watching netflix or at work. Also while you are there, upgrade your work from home experience by adding one of their standing mats.