Following a better-than-expected back-to-school season, retailers are optimistic for year-end retail sales. According to a new survey from BDO USA, LLP, retail CFOs expect a 4.5-percent increase in total 2012 sales.

FedEx Corp. slashed profit projections for 2012 after posting another quarterly slump in earnings, and its chief executive said trade has slowed to levels not seen during the last two significant economic downturns. That's not exactly what Wall Street wants to hear from a company considered to be a bellwether of the global economy. And it also portends bad news for the hundreds of major U.S. companies that will start reporting third-quarter earnings in a few weeks.

Manufacturing data tend to be a leading indicator for the rest of the economy. The recent weakness is more an indication of future conditions than present ones, meaning the U.S. manufacturing renaissance of the last two years may be about to take an extended breather.

China has become the biggest market for Amway's nutritional supplements. But three years ago, when the icon of multi-level marketing faced a decision as to whether to build a state-of-the-art supplement plant in China or in the U.S., Amway chose to erect it down the road from its global headquarters in Ada, Michigan. It's typical of a renaissance in U.S. manufacturing.

A slew of luxury goods retailers are leaving Argentina in response to import barriers, currency controls and soaring inflation. American designer Ralph Lauren was the most recent departure when it announced last month that it was closing three of its stores in Buenos Aires, including its flagship in the upscale Recoleta district, as draconian measures on imports have all but left it unable to stock its shelves.

Research by Evoco Inc., a provider of design and construction project management software, has found that retail store growth, especially among retailers with 1,000 stores or more, is either steady or is positive.

HAVI Global Solutions, active in consulting, design and execution services for global supply chains, packaging and promotions, has joined with Alpha Waste Solutions, a waste and recycling management company, to provide "closed loop" sustainability, recycling and waste solutions to regional and national companies.

The methods for measuring quality in the automotive industry are outdated and in need of replacement, according to a study detailed by AIAG, a not-for-profit organization that works with global manufacturing companies and service providers to help them operate at peak performance.

FedEx Corp. says the global economy is worsening and it's cutting its forecast for the fiscal year ending in May.

Despite pending regulations, most shipowners have refused to commit to an onboard ballast water treatment system. Yet port-based treatment has the potential to be a temporary or even permanent solution.