Good day,
Companies like Anheuser-Busch InBev NV, Heineken NV, and Diageo PLC see big potential in the market, but the WSJ’s Julie Wernau and Alexandra Wexler write the international drinks giants are contending with price swings in commodities and other factors that quickly undercut the economics of local markets. That’s pushed brewers to embrace low-price, locally formulated concoctions that that would be unrecognizable to most Western consumers and cut far against the grain of their usual big-scale, mass-market strategies.
Overall, the continent, however, is hopping with potential. Africa’s beer consumption is far below that of Western markets and growing fast, with one forecast suggesting it could account for 40% of global volume in the next decade. For now, however, Diageo says it wants to tap consumers who can’t afford its core brands, such as Guinness.
Did you know?
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Quotable:
“To me, gender shouldn’t matter. It’s all about the integrity of the work being done, the integrity of the person, earning the respect of your coworkers and peers.”
—Raquel Renda, VP of Renda Environmental
In other news:
After the Bitcoin Boom: Hard Lessons for Cryptocurrency Investors
After the latest round of big price drops, many cryptocurrencies have given back all of the enormous gains they experienced last winter. (New York Times)
Why Amazon And Rival Retailers Are Uniting To Defend The U.S. Postal Service
Many U.S. retailers may hate and fear Amazon, but their shared interest in making sure the U.S. Postal Service continues to offer “reliable and affordable” package delivery tops all. (Forbes)
Walmart reportedly pushing beauty suppliers to source outside China
In an effort to mitigate the impact of the Trump Administration’s most recent list of proposed tariffs on Chinese goods, Walmart has asked beauty vendors to look outside China. (SupplyChainDive)
Report: Shipping Emissions Declining but More Innovation Needed to Meet IMO Goals
Carbon dioxide emissions from 22 top ocean container carriers, representing 85 percent of global containerized shipping, continued to fall in 2017, BSR’s Clean Cargo Working Group said in a report. (World Maritime News)
G3 Canada opens two grain elevators on CN line
G3 Canada Ltd. last week marked the openings of two high-efficiency grain elevators in Saskatchewan. (Progressive Railroading)
Final Thoughts:
The top five trucking freight markets currently represent 18% of the entire load volume of U.S. domestic freight. This according to a new SONAR market-share index (SONAR: OTMS) released Friday. The entire U.S. domestic freight volume is divided up among 135 total markets. The top five markets currently are:
1. Atlanta, GA: 4.48%
2. Ontario, CA (just outside Los Angeles): 4.12%
3. Joliet, IL (just outside Chicago): 3.46%
4. Harrisburg, PA: 3.10%
5. Dallas, TX: 2.83%
Hammer down everyone!