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Wireless Providers Merge to Compete

Amid limited resources and an increasingly saturated market, providers turn to mergers and acquisitions to garner market share.By IBISWorld Analyst Kevin Boyland A flurry of recent merger and acquisition (M&A) activity in the Wireless Telecommunications Providers industry  has led to renewed talks of long-expected industry consolidation. While the industry is already highly concentrated with the top four players controlling about 86.9% of the market, high wireless communication penetration and the subsequent slowdown in

Danger Ahead: 3 Sectors that Should Brace for the Fiscal Cliff

If Americans are faced with the impending tax-cut expirations, industries that rely on discretionary spending will be headed for disasterBy IBISWorld Senior Industry Analyst Nikoleta Panteva Not without good reason has the term “fiscal cliff” been the buzzword of post-election 2012. After experiencing tax cuts in 2001, 2003 and 2009, Americans are now faced with the impending expiration of more than 80 payroll and income tax breaks if Congress fails to reach a budget deal by the end of 2012. The measures would be aimed at lowering the federal government’s deficit, which has exceeded $1

Toy and Hobby Stores Consolidate to Compete

As companies fight for business and to hold onto market share, industry concentration has been on the rise.By IBISWorld Industry Analyst Justin Waterman The increasingly saturated Hobby and Toy Stores industry  (IBISWorld report 45112) has been a game changer for many industry operators. In this highly competitive environment, companies have scrambled to gain market share and diversify their product selections. Companies that have been unable to cope with heightened competition, volatile plastic prices and rising purchase costs,

Cutting Deals: Trends in the Manufactured Home Dealers Industry

Despite a recession-induced setback, this industry continues to adapt to a more competitive housing marketBy IBISWorld Industry Analyst Deonta Smith Despite a recession-induced setback, the Manufactured Home Dealers industry  continues to adapt to a more competitive housing market. To effectively compete against traditional homes, marketing strategies and the ability to conduct lending activities have been manufactured-home dealers’ best assets. Manufactured-home retailers develop and coordinate marketing strategies to provide

Cyber Monday to Outshine Thanksgiving and Black Friday Spending

Rising disposable income is bringing in the cheer and putting consumers into the spirit of the holidaysBy IBISWorld Analyst Olivia Tang Rising disposable incomes are bringing in the cheer and putting consumers into the spirit of the holidays. As a result, IBISWorld expects spending for Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday to all rise in 2012. Thanksgiving spending will reach a record high as the economy recovers. Consumers will also continue taking advantage of Black Friday deals, although spending for the occasion will grow only marginally. However, Cyber Monday will be the

Insider’s Corner Q&A: Douglas Gordon, Co-Founder & Executive Vice-President of Fundation

IBISWorld catches up with Douglas Gordon of Fundation to find out firsthand what's going on within his industry.IW:  What challenge do you and Fundation  face right now? DG: Serving the financing needs of such a heterogeneous market with a diverse set of borrowing needs and economic pressure points requires a significant amount of time and energy devoted to understanding such intricacies. Properly monitoring and preparing for industry specific trends related to borrowing demand and likelihood of default is a challenging task that necessitates an organized,

Outlook: Employment in the Manufacturing Sector

Though much of the manufacturing sector is shedding employees, several key production industries are doing just the oppositeBy IBISWorld Analyst Lauren Setar The story is familiar: Overall employment suffered during the recession, adding to the already accelerating trend of outsourcing manufacturing jobs or replacing them with machinery. Nevertheless, there are a handful of manufacturing industries that IBISWorld projects will bolster their workforces during the next five years. Ranging from millwork to prefabricated home manufacturing, IBISWorld has compiled five manufacturing

Election Spotlight: Environment & Energy

Both candidates promise more domestic energy production, but the election will determine which energy industries stand to benefit the most.By IBISWorld Analysts Antonio Danova & Lauren Setar Growing awareness in the American public about energy and environmental issues has put related topics in the spotlight during election season, with each political party championing its own strategies for improving how the United States handles its environmental resources. Increasing demand for transportation and industrial production are driving up US consumption of oil and alternative energy, making

Halloween Sales to Reach a Record-Setting $8.0 Billion in 2012

Decorations will be the Fastest-Growing Segment as Consumers Relieve Pent-Up DemandAlthough recessionary woes still weigh on consumer spending, Americans are expected to be more liberal with holiday purchases in 2012, especially for Halloween.  According to industry research firm IBISWorld, Halloween spending is expected to grow 10.7 percent from 2011 to reach a record-setting $8.0 billion, as more consumers participate in festivities and purchase small-ticket items like home decorations and candy.  Furthermore, larger budgets will allow consumers to spend more on store-bought, ready-made

Insider’s Corner Q&A: Judith Collins, Business Advisor

IBISWorld catches up with Judith Collins of the North Texas Small Business Development Center Network and the Dallas Small Business Development Center to find out firsthand what's going on within her industryIW:  What challenge do you and the North Texas Small Business Development Center Network  and/or the Dallas Small Business Development Center  face right now? JC: Our biggest challenge is marketing our SBDC services. There are lots of small businesses that would benefit from our counseling services but they simply don’t know that our

Scenario Study: Puffed Up Corn Prices

Drought conditions causing corn prices to rise are benefiting rather than devastating corn farmers in the Midwest.By IBISWorld Senior Analyst Nikoleta Panteva The summer of 2012 will go down in history as one of the hottest the United States has faced. While this is undoubtedly good news for beach resorts and frozen yogurt stores , other US industries are experiencing a different fate. According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the price of corn has already jumped nearly 50.0% from this time in 2011 due to a drought

Pent-Up Demand in Key Sectors to Bolster Economy

The recession curbed consumption across the board, but with a recovering economy, consumers are ready to spend againBy IBISWorld Analysts Natalie Everett and Eben Jose The United States suffered through one of the longest recessions in the country’s history during the past five years. The collapse of the housing market crippled a financial system that had bet heavily on the notion that housing prices would never decline. Credit became scarce almost immediately after the crisis began, forcing many companies to go bankrupt or face significant layoffs. As a result, the US unemployment rate

Insider’s Corner Q&A: Phillippe Chau, Engagement Director

IBISWorld catches up with Phillippe Chau of Growthink to find out firsthand what's going on within his industry.IW:  What challenge do you and Growthink  face right now? PC: Challenges now include the availability of research for niche and specialty industries.  IW:  How does IBISWorld help you overcome this challenge? PC: With IBISWorld, we are able to pull quality reports for specialty industries, which allow us to provide detailed analysis to our client's business. IW:  What do you foresee happening in your industry within the next year? PC:  In

Safe Passage for the Public Transportation Industry

Increasing fuel costs and the migration of Americans from rural to urban areas forced many people to switch from automobiles to public transportation.By IBISWorld Analyst Lauren Setar As seen in the ABA Journal The Public Transportation industry  has had a low level of revenue volatility during the five years to 2012. While many industries suffered greatly during the recession, this industry fared well. Firms in this industry move people regionally on regular routes with fixed schedules to work, commerce centers, entertainment

The Euro’s Fall from Grace

The stakes are high for these industries trading with the EU15 if the value of the euro continues its downward course.By IBISWorld Analysts Brian Bueno & Nikoleta Panteva With fears about sovereign debt defaults looming, European economies in recession, and continued policy disagreements across the region, the fate of the euro has been called into question. The yield on Spain’s 10-year bonds has been on the rise, increasing fears of potential default and spreading concerns about the debt of other countries, such as Italy. The uncertainty surrounding the financial future of European

Loans at Last: 10 Industries to Benefit From Credit Union Lending

The passage of legislation could allow credit unions to make larger loans and help more businesses get off the groundBy IBISWorld Analyst Eben Jose Nearly five years after the housing bubble burst and the financial system collapsed, politicians are still clamoring for new ways to free up capital and spark growth across the United States. The most recent effort, put forth by Senator Mark Udall (D-Colo.), proposes to increase the lending limit of credit unions from the current level of 12.25% of assets to 27.5%. Structured as nonprofits, credit unions were originally created to make

Trends Outfitting the Fashion Retail Sector

Retailers that fail to adapt to fast-paced technological advances and changing consumer preferences risk falling out of fashionBy IBISWorld Senior Analyst Nikoleta Panteva  From smartphone shopping to aspiring consumers, the fashion retail sector is facing a slew of changes that will reshape the landscape for good. Operators embracing the shift are set to thrive, while those that do not risk losing significant ground. Fashion retailers have experienced a tough economic environment over the past five years. Unemployment skyrocketed as the housing bubble burst. Consumers tightened their

High Rises for the Apartment and Condominium Construction Industry

The high number of home foreclosures over the past five years has increased competition for rental housing.By IBISWorld Analyst Deonta Smith As Seen In The ABA Journal The Apartment and Condominium Construction industry  is rapidly gaining steam, which can be attributed to Americans increasingly moving to metropolitan areas. Young adults typically want to live closer to the center of metropolitan areas, and senior citizens are relocating to areas with more amenities. These factors are the main determinants for industry growth.

Election Spotlight: Healthcare Reform

Although the 2012 elections will play a big role in Americans’ healthcare future, uncertainty may be more detrimental to US industries than changing regulation.By IBISWorld Analysts Radia Amari and Anna Son “I want America to have the finest healthcare in the world. And I want every American to have that care when he [sic] needs it.” President Richard Nixon made that proclamation in 1971, 41 years before President Barack Obama and president-hopeful Mitt Romney officially begin debating the perennially divisive issue of healthcare reform in the run-up to the November elections. In 2010,

Labor Shortages A Reality

Despite still-high unemployment levels nationwide, some industries are scraping the bottom of the barrel for qualified employees.By IBISWorld Analyst Andrea Alegria Despite the fact that unemployment levels remain high in most parts of the country, employers in some industries are actually having a hard time finding enough workers. At the end of March, the national unemployment rate dropped to 8.3%, from a peak of 10.0% in 2010 but still much higher than the low of 4.4% at the end of 2006. Still, employers in sectors including mining, software publishing and nursing care are struggling

Insider’s Corner Q&A: Chris Mitchell

IBISWorld catches up with Chris Mitchell of Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP to find out firsthand what's going on within his industryIW:  What challenge do you and Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP  face right now? CM: Many of our clients expect us to be fortune-tellers.  They may want to know the outlook for their business or they may want to know how a particular event impacted the future of their business.  With business valuation being a “forward looking” process, our challenge is to blend the historical results with the future outlook.  This can be particularly challenging

Top 10 Fastest- Growing Industries

With environmentally friendly practices or technological advances, these industries are outpacing the economic recovery.By IBISWorld Analyst Lauren Setar & Research Editor Matthew MacFarland Across the United States, industries, businesses and consumers are climbing out of the Great Recession’s lows. US gross domestic product is forecast to grow 3.3% per year over the next five years, a welcome change from the meager growth of 0.6% per year between 2007 and 2012. Some industries, however, aren’t just recovering – they’re flourishing. IBISWorld has compiled a list of these standout

Restructuring and Car Sales Drive Employment Growth

Despite a rough few years with massive job losses, the auto industry is slowly beefing up production and workforces.By IBISWorld Analyst Antonio Danova  Although the automotive industry has been a hot topic over the past five years, discussions have focused more on the monetary losses and bailouts while somewhat overlooking industry employment trends. Fortunately, auto industry employment is expected to improve in the long run, and the restructured business models of the Big Three domestic automakers (GM, Ford and Chrysler) will prevent the domestic industry from reverting back to the

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