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I want my (big screen) TV

Super Bowl Sunday gave a huge boost to electronics retailers, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF). An NRF survey indicates that 43 million Americans attended some sort of Super Bowl party. Of those, 5.8 percent bought a big TV for the big game. In all, the survey found that some 1.5 million TV sets were sold as consumers prepared for the New England Patriots' match-up with the Carolina Panthers.

Although these consumers seemed to have plenty of disposable income, they were a little short on patience. According to Ensenda, a specialized "last-mile" logistics service provider, some retailers saw year-to-year demand for next-day delivery of new home electronics jump by almost 500 percent during that period.

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Logistics industry growth slowed in December
Logistics Managers' Index

Logistics industry growth slowed in December

Logistics industry growth slowed in December due to a seasonal wind-down of inventory and following one of the busiest holiday shopping seasons on record, according to the latest Logistics Managers’ Index (LMI) report, released this week.

The monthly LMI was 57.3 in December, down more than a percentage point from November’s reading of 58.4. Despite the slowdown, economic activity across the industry continued to expand, as an LMI reading above 50 indicates growth and a reading below 50 indicates contraction.

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forklifts in warehouse

Demand for warehouse space cooled off slightly in fourth quarter

The overall national industrial real estate vacancy rate edged higher in the fourth quarter, although it still remains well below pre-pandemic levels, according to an analysis by Cushman & Wakefield.

Vacancy rates shrunk during the pandemic to historically low levels as e-commerce sales—and demand for warehouse space—boomed in response to massive numbers of people working and living from home. That frantic pace is now cooling off but real estate demand remains elevated from a long-term perspective.

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drawing of warehouse for digital twin

Kion Group teams with Accenture and Nvidia to design intelligent warehouses

German lift truck giant Kion Group will work with the consulting firm Accenture to optimize supply chain operations using advanced AI and simulation technologies provided by microchip powerhouse Nvidia, the companies said Tuesday.

The three companies say the deal will allow clients to both define ideal set-ups for new warehouses and to continuously enhance existing facilities with Mega, an Nvidia Omniverse blueprint for large-scale industrial digital twins. The strategy includes a digital twin powered by physical AI – AI models that embody principles and qualities of the physical world – to improve the performance of intelligent warehouses that operate with automated forklifts, smart cameras and automation and robotics solutions.

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worker using sensors on rooftop infrastructure

Sick and Endress+Hauser say joint venture will enable decarbonization

The German sensor technology provider Sick GmbH has launched a joint venture with the Swiss measurement technology specialist Endress+Hauser to produce and market a new set of process automation solutions for enabling decarbonization.

Under terms of the deal, Sick and Endress+Hauser will each hold 50% of a joint venture called "Endress+Hauser SICK GmbH+Co. KG," which will strengthen the development and production of analyzer and gas flow meter technologies. According to Sick, its gas flow meters make it possible to switch to low-emission and non-fossil energy sources, for example, and the process analyzers allow reliable monitoring of emissions.

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noblelift forklift trucks

Noblelift North America names Pedriana as president

Material handling equipment provider Noblelift North America on Tuesday named Bill Pedriana as its new president, charging him with leading the Des Plaines, Illinois-based company into “a new era of innovation, growth, and customer-centric success.”

He replaces Loren Swakow, the company’s president for the past eight years, who built a reputation for providing innovative and high-performance material handling solutions, Noblelift North America said.

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