globalEDGE Blog Podcast

During the Coronavirus pandemic, few industries have been hit as hard as transportation. With the reduction in travel due to shutdowns, the airline industry has served far fewer customers. Last year, the TSA noted over two million travelers almost every single day. During March of this year, the number of travelers had been reduced to under 100,000 on some days. That is less than 5% of the same day one year prior. While there has been a slow increase over the last few months, there has not been a day with more than a million travelers since March 16th. In June, the International Air Transport Association even predicted the air transport industry to lose 84.3 billion dollars during this year alone. They state that the amount being saved in reduced costs is nowhere near the massive losses in revenue.

For years, retailers have been criticized for having their employees work long hours between Thanksgiving and Black Friday. This year, retailers have been forced to reevaluate what their holiday shopping will look like amidst a global pandemic.

If you are unfamiliar with the social media app TikTok and how they make money, check out my blog post from this past February.  Since that point, TikTok’s platform has continued its ascension into the mainstream and the company has experienced rapid growth in active users across the world.

When we think about chocolate, we usually refer to three kinds: white, milk, and dark. These treats have been a part of our lives for decades. From snacks to drinks, chocolate satisfies the craving of millions of people around the world. It is estimated that every year, about 7.2 million metric tons of chocolate are consumed worldwide. Being such a mature market, no one expected an addition to the family. However, in 2017, a Swiss chocolate maker Callebaut announced the existence of a fourth type of chocolate—Ruby Chocolate.

Many markets are fluctuating through today’s current wants and needs in the world. One market that has grown is the tea market. But, even through it’s growth, this market is facing many problems.

After a sixteen-month investigation, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) has announced that major banks throughout the world have taken part in allowing dirty and illegal money to pass through their institutions. The ICIJ’s investigation has concluded Bank of New York Mellon, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, JPMorgan, and Standard Chartered Bank as the five main financial institutions responsible for authorizing the moving of crime-financing funds.

In this day and age, there are countless channels available to consume media.  From the radio to television to social media networks, we are constantly bombarded with information and can access any content at our fingertips.  New channels are cropping up all the time as well.  One way to consume media that has skyrocketed in popularity is listening to podcasts.  Podcasting is expected to be a $1 billion industry by 2021 and listeners are expected to top 100 million in the United States alone.  Let’s dive into the podcasting industry and how it looks around the world.

Water is a necessity for life and is one of the most valuable resources on the planet.  Each year, close to four trillion cubic meters of freshwater is consumed around the world and almost every daily activity or good requires water to use or make.  This fact is often overlooked, as the use of water is typically only thought of in terms of physical consumption and cleaning.  In an exploration of the plethora of ways that society uses water, its role in the wellness industry is rapidly growing.

2020 has been an extremely volatile year. The year started with stock markets hitting all-time highs before the Coronavirus pandemic closed down much of the world’s economy, negatively hitting many industries. The insurance industry, despite taking on large amounts of risk when writing policies, is considered to be pretty safe and stable. How has it held up to the pressure applied this year?

Since the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, doctors and scientists have told the public that a vaccine will be the most effective way to stop the spread of COVID-19. More than 6 months later, the United States, China, Australia, Germany, and the United Kingdom all have vaccines going through testing in phase 3.