Pandemic news and trends

IRS Launches Voluntary Disclosure Program for Businesses That Filed Dubious ERC Claims 
Disbursements // December 21, 2023

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has launched a new program that aims to assist businesses that mistakenly filed Employee Retention Credit (ERC) claims and want to repay the funds they received in error.  The IRS has been working on this Voluntary Disclosure Program for several months...

Walgreens Looks Aisle to Aisle to Cut Costs
Retail // October 13, 2023

Following the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic’s transition, a leadership reorganization, a shaky foray into health care, and recent labor issues with pharmacy staff, Walgreens is now going “line by line” to see where the company could cut costs.   That’s the latest from the...

80% of Americans See Savings Decline Since Pandemic Peak
Economy // September 25, 2023

Most Americans are reportedly facing financial challenges as their pandemic savings have dwindled. Beyond the wealthiest 20% of the U.S., Americans have depleted their extra savings and now have less cash on hand than they did when the pandemic began, Bloomberg reported Monday (Sept. 25),...

Major Economies Report Falling Trade Volumes in July
Commerce // September 25, 2023

Global trade has reportedly experienced a significant decline in recent months, with trade volumes falling at the fastest pace since the pandemic began.  The slowdown in global trade can be attributed to various factors, including rising inflation, higher interest rates and a shift in consumer...

Interviews & Exclusives
Fender CFO on Finding the Right Chord When Disaster Strikes

August 25, 2023
The ability to make tough decisions quickly is often the difference between success and failure. After all, if it were easy to be a leader, everyone would be one. “We had 16 million people pick up a guitar during the pandemic, 30 million worldwide. And Fender really benefited from that,” Matt Janopaul, CFO at Fender, told PYMNTS […]

Buffalo Market’s ‘Restaurant Bridge’ Initiative Supports Customers Amid Difficult Year

March 30, 2021
With the restaurant industry hit hard by the events of the last year and small and midsize businesses (SMBs) disproportionately bearing the brunt of these challenges, consumers and businesses alike...

AI Plays Key Role In Preventing Subscription Churn

December 14, 2020
Subscription services are taking off during the pandemic, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) providers are no exception. Many of these solutions providers are offering key services for businesses with employees working from...

GE’s FX Payments Chief On Optimizing FX And Supply Chain Efficiencies

October 21, 2020
At the start of this year, online commerce trends were following a similar trajectory to 2019: eCommerce sales were steadily growing, but they were still a fraction of those at...

Quick Reads
FTC Says Grocery Giants Profited From Pandemic-Era Supply Chain Problems

March 21, 2024
Large players in the grocery industry took advantage of the pandemic’s supply chain problems to raise prices and profits and keep them high. So said the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in a press release and staff report issued Thursday (March 21). “As the pandemic illustrated, a major shock to the supply chain can have cascading […]

IRS Launches Voluntary Disclosure Program for Businesses That Filed Dubious ERC Claims 

December 21, 2023
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has launched a new program that aims to assist businesses that mistakenly filed Employee Retention Credit (ERC) claims and want to repay the funds they received...

80% of Americans See Savings Decline Since Pandemic Peak

September 25, 2023
Most Americans are reportedly facing financial challenges as their pandemic savings have dwindled. Beyond the wealthiest 20% of the U.S., Americans have depleted their extra savings and now have less...

Major Economies Report Falling Trade Volumes in July

September 25, 2023
Global trade has reportedly experienced a significant decline in recent months, with trade volumes falling at the fastest pace since the pandemic began.  The slowdown in global trade can be...