APS Fulfillment, Inc. (www.APSFulfillment.com), one of the nation’s leading cost-effective fulfillment and integrated direct mail marketing companies, is commenting on a recent gauge showing that the U.S. economy is getting strong, as well as weighing in on the implications for U.S. e-commerce.
The Conference Board Leading Economic Index for the U.S. increased in June for the fifth consecutive month, rising 0.3%; while slightly lower than previously forecast, the 0.7% increase in May was stronger than first estimated. While the increase came in below the forecast, it does suggest that U.S. economic growth should accelerate in the second half of 2014. (Source: “The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® for the U.S. Increases,” The Conference Board web site, July 18, 2014; www.conference-board.org/press/pressdetail.cfm?pressid=5241.)
“The fact that the Conference Board’s Leading Economic Index has increased over the last five consecutive months and has been positive for the last 12 months signals the U.S economy is improving,” says Charles Aultman, president of APS Fulfillment, Inc. “It also bodes well for the remainder of the year.”
Aultman explains that the U.S. economy contracted in the first three months of 2014 as a result, in part, of the last effects of the brutal winter. However, the U.S. economy rebounded during the second quarter. In the U.S., roughly 70% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) comes from personal spending. For the U.S. economy to expand, it needs to create sustained job growth.
In June, the U.S. unemployment rate slipped to a nearly six-year low of 6.1%. The 288,000 new jobs added in June represent the fifth straight monthly gain above 200,000. Over the last 12 months, the U.S. economy has added nearly 2.5 million jobs—an average of around 208,000 a month and the fastest year-over-year pace since 2006. (Source: “The Employment Situation, June,” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics web site, July 3, 2014; www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm.)
“These two recent economic indicators bode very well for U.S. retailers heading into the third and fourth quarters, especially when considering that many online and traditional brick-and-mortar businesses generate the majority of their sales in the second half of the year,” Aultman explains.
He adds that brands today face increasing competitive pressure for faster, more accurate order fulfillment and faster shipping. To meet this demand, firms need to hire a warehousing fulfillment company with advanced workflow processes that reduce the time required to pick, pack, and ship orders accurately and as quickly as possible.
“Businesses looking to increase their supply chain efficiencies, regardless of size, need to use a warehousing fulfillment company that is close to all major transportation hubs and has a state-of-the-art facility, fast and accurate pick-and-pack, real-time shipping, and an industry-leading customer service team,” Aultman concludes. “With back-to-school and the holidays just around the corner, companies that use APS Fulfillment, Inc. can have their products received, inventoried, and shipped in just two days.”
APS Fulfillment, Inc. is one of the United States’ leading cost-effective fulfillment and integrated direct mail marketing companies, offering affordable and real-time fulfillment services to small, medium, and large companies. Its state-of-the-art technology provides turnkey solutions for high-volume perfect-match mailings, personalized direct mail, snap-pak mailers, postcards, and triple-tabbed booklets. More information on APS Fulfillment, Inc. is available by visiting the firm’s web site at www.APSFulfillment.com or by calling 954-582-7450.
