The Daily Chase: Inflation, supply chain pressure builds; Truckers speak out

Global supply chain problems, and their impact on inflation, remain front and centre this morning. Among the new developments: China’s producer price index just leapt to its highest level since 1995, and the International Energy Agency has bumped up its global oil demand forecasts for this year and 2022 as a result of the energy squeeze that’s been making headlines for weeks.

Global supply chain problems, and their impact on inflation, remain front and centre this morning. Among the new developments: China’s producer price index just leapt to its highest level since 1995, and the International Energy Agency has bumped up its global oil demand forecasts for this year and 2022 as a result of the energy squeeze that’s been making headlines for weeks. It also delivered this warning: “The higher energy prices are also adding to inflationary pressures that, along with power outages, could lead to lower industrial activity and a slowdown in the economic recovery.” There was a bit of relief at 8:30 a.m. ET, however, when we learned the U.S. producer price index rose slightly less than expected with a year-over-year gain of 8.6 per cent; excluding food and energy, PPI rose 6.8 per cent. And so, the debate about transitory inflation trends will rage on.

‘IT’S BRUTAL’: VIEWS FROM THE FRONTLINES OF CANADA’S SUPPLY CHAIN

Keep an eye on BNNBloomberg.ca for Temur Durrani’s latest; he spoke with more than a dozen truckers and other transportation industry workers about the challenges they’ve faced since the onset of the pandemic and their roles in keeping shelves stocked amid strained supply chains. These are important voices that we don’t often hear from; and Temur’s reporting should serve as a wake-up call. Watch for a live interview with one of the trucking professionals this morning on The Open.

ARITZIA SETS ITSELF APART

Old fashioned brick and mortar retail was a boon for Aritzia in the latest quarter as revenue from in-store activity nearly doubled year-over-year, and was even up 13.8 per cent compared to two years ago. "Retail has surpassed our most optimistic expectations and is continuing to trend above pre-pandemic levels, now and for the foreseeable future," Founder/Chairman/CEO Brian Hill said in a release. Begs the question of what the secret is to Aritzia's success in an area where so many others have failed. We’ll talk with Hill tomorrow.

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