Coffee prices are heating up, and experts say an even bigger price hike could be coming. WSJ explains the web of economic forces that help determine the cost of coffee. Illustration: Mallory Brangan/WSJ
Tag Archives: Business
Air Travel: The Rise Of Emirates (CNBC Video)
Emirates, the long-haul carrier known for its luxury services, has set new standards for the way we travel. Like airlines everywhere, the carrier has been battered by the coronavirus pandemic. To keep customers safe and on board, Emirates adopted a variety of new protocols. The company also pivoted to cargo shipments to keep itself afloat. So will Emirates bounce back from the economic fallout pummeling the airline industry?
Analysis: Why Lumber Prices Have Boomed (WSJ)
Demand for lumber has skyrocketed during the pandemic, sending prices to all-time highs. This video explains what’s driving the lumber boom, who’s profiting, and why those growing the trees aren’t reaping the benefits. Illustration: Liz Ornitz/WSJ
Climate: How Biden’s Infrastructure Plan Impacts Electric Vehicles
The Biden Administration wants to bet big on electric vehicles. Can it implement policy that reduces transportation emissions while positioning America as the leader in global EV production?
Online Shopping: ‘Digital Coupon Codes’ – Making Curators Millions (Video)
Promo code sites have become big business, with digital coupons surpassing paper for the first time in 2020. Major deal sites make millions based almost entirely on commissions from each sale. They don’t sell shopper data and it’s not a scam. In fact, big companies like PayPal and Rakuten are buying up deal sites for billions.
From Honey to Slickdeals, Rakuten Rewards to Brad’s Deals, CNBC asked the major sites what it takes to find deals that are real and why the business model works. With the huge boost in online shopping during the pandemic, deal-finding sites have become a major business. In 2020, Inmar Intelligence found that digital coupons surpassed printed coupons for the first time ever. Also in recent years, behemoths like Goldman Sachs and PayPal have paid hundreds of millions – or even billions – for sites like Slickdeals and Honey that automatically curate coupon codes or offer shoppers cash back for making purchases through their sites.
Even banks like Capital One are getting into the game. The business model is not a scam. All major deal sites say they don’t sell shopper data. Instead, each sale generates a commission for the deal site and for the middleman known as the affiliate marketer – a company that connects the vast world of retailers with deal sites. With nearly 2,000 businesses in the daily deal site space, it’s a crowded industry filled with legitimate businesses as well as plenty of sites that are riddled with ads and expired coupon codes. That’s because regardless of whether a coupon code works, the site that provided the code will get commission for that sale. When the deals are legitimate, however, it can mean big money for shoppers, retailers, and the deal sites.
From Honey to Slickdeals, Rakuten Rewards to Brad’s Deals, CNBC asked the major deal sites, and shoppers, what it takes to find deals that are real and why the business model works. Watch the video to learn how saving consumers’ money makes big bucks for companies in the vast world of online deal hunting.
Outdoor Recreation: Why ‘Polaris’ Is Going Electric
Polaris Inc. is a dominant player in the off-road vehicle market, selling top-of-the-line ATV’s, snowmobiles, and utility vehicles, among others. Unlike many other companies, Polaris saw its revenue increase in 2020 thanks to an unexpected boom in powersports and increased interest in outdoor activities. While it rides this high, however, some doubt how long it can last. In the past year, Polaris has begun expanding its electric vehicle line-up, hoping to gain some further momentum from the rapidly-growing market. However, some analysts are skeptical of the company’s ability to push into the electric space, which may be challenging given consumer hesitation regarding comparative performance, as well as fierce competition from other leading brands.
Analysis: Recycling ‘End-Of-Life EV Batteries’ (CNBC)
Lithium-ion batteries are everywhere — in phones, laptops, tablets, cameras and increasingly cars. Demand for lithium-ion batteries has risen sharply in the past five years and is expected to grow from a $44.2 billion market in 2020 to a $94.4 billion market by 2025, mostly due to the boom in electric cars.
And a shortage of lithium-ion batteries is looming in the U.S. Former Tesla CTO and Elon Musk’s right-hand man, JB Straubel, started Redwood Materials in 2017 to help address the need for more raw materials and to solve the problem of e-waste. The company recycles end-of-life batteries and then supplies battery makers and auto companies with materials in short supply as EV production surges around the world. Straubel gave CNBC an inside look at its first recycling facility in Carson City, Nevada. Watch the video to learn why battery recycling will be an essential part in making EV production more sustainable.
Analysis: The Electric Vehicle Battery Shortage
U.S. automakers are finally making bold commitments to electrify their fleets, but in the short-term, there may not be enough lithium-ion batteries to go around. While China dominates the battery manufacturing supply chain, and Europe is working to catch up, the U.S. still lags far behind.
As batteries become a matter of energy independence and national security, here’s what the U.S. can do to catch up. As automakers continue to grapple with a semiconductor shortage, some experts say the next supply chain crisis for the U.S. could involve lithium-ion batteries. As companies like GM, Ford and a slew of start-ups are ramping up their electric vehicle ambitions, current battery production in the U.S. will not be able to keep up with demand.
Cruise Industry: How U.S. Ports Are Staying Afloat
The shutdown of cruise lines during the pandemic has had far-reaching economic consequences for America’s ports. In this video, WSJ reporter Julie Bykowicz visits Port Canaveral’s once-bustling cruise terminal to learn about what’s next for the industry.
Online Business: How ‘Chewy’ Harnessed The Pandemic Pet Boom
Online pet retailer Chewy has seen a surge of growth over the past year as millions adopted new pets. WSJ spoke with Chewy’s CEO to learn how the company handled the pandemic pet boom. Illustration: Jacob Reynolds/WSJ
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