Doug Stephens, in his new book, makes an important observation that "the whole society is being pulled out of the industrial era and across the threshold of the digital age." He continues, "Though 2020 was challenging for a lot of retail companies, it has made big companies like Amazon, Alibaba, JD.com, and Walmart even stronger and better prepared to capture more of the global economy."

A report from Ampere Analysis shows the rapid rise of SVoD services in the US. There are now more subscriptions to services including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, HBO Max and Disney+ than there are people in the US.

A few months ago, I revealed the 7 best smart home devices I actually use on a daily basis. But I've since moved into a new apartment, and had to reconsider which renter-friendly connected products I want to integrate into my current lifestyle. Here's my starter pack of the best smart home devices for apartment living.

The 'e' in Samsung Galaxy S10e stands for 'essential', which means it packs almost everything the S10 and S10 Plus have, at a lower price. You get a 5.8-inch screen, the same two primary cameras, and all-day battery life, but you'll miss out on a third lens, the curved display edges, and the in-screen fingerprint sensor. That's the tempting compromise offered by Samsung's 'budget flagship' and answer to Apple's iPhone XR.

The US pet products industry grew 9% to $107 billion in 2020, proving itself to be recession-resistant and benefiting from the surge in pandemic-era pet adoptions, according to a Packaged Facts report. The growth has led to an increase in mergers, acquisitions, IPOs and investment activity at companies including Petco, BarkBox and Pet Supplies Plus.

Companies' procurement departments can further diversity and inclusion by diversifying supplier networks, writes Stephen Day, chief procurement officer at Kantar. "There is evidence that companies with diversity-focused suppliers experience a much higher ROI in terms of procurement while simultaneously spending less," Day writes.

Apparel retailers are preparing for new fashion trends as consumers start to emerge from more than a year of dressing to work from home. Levi's is marking the end of the skinny jean as sales of looser-fitting pants grow, Urban Outfitters is heralding the return of demand for dresses and Gap expects to see sales growth for higher-end performance wear.

Lee Delaney, who was named president of BJ's Wholesale Club in 2019 and CEO last year, died suddenly last week at age 49, the company said in a statement. Delaney, who joined BJ's in 2016 as executive vice president and chief growth officer, later helping guide the wholesaler through the start of the pandemic, died of "presumed natural causes," the company said, adding that current Chief Financial Officer Bob Eddy will step in as interim CEO.

The pandemic has pushed more people to cook at home and that "sea change in food consumption" contributed to robust sales for dairy and deli cheeses, which jumped nearly 20% year over year, according to a report from IRI. Cheese served as a comfort food and a protein snack, and was a key ingredient of charcuterie boards and healthy salads, with IRI's Jonna Parker saying cheese "rode the wave across the store."

Electric bicycles designed to pull containers that can hold up to 800 pounds of groceries are being rolled out in New York City and Pasadena, Calif., by URB-E, one of the latest companies to pursue cheaper and more environmentally sustainable delivery methods. CEO Charles Jolley would not say which grocers URB-E was working with, but indicated they were companies that have delivery services but want alternatives to gas or diesel vehicles.