Update: As of January 16, Sears and ESL Investments appear to have reached an agreement to keep the company in business and stores open — for now. Be sure to subscribe to our blog for ongoing insights and analysis on new developments in this story.

Is this the end of the road for one of the oldest retailers in the US?

With so much going on in the news lately, it can be hard to keep up.  Take a moment to check out the latest headlines from The Freedonia Group, Freedonia Focus Reports, Simba Information, and Kalorama Information.  This week, hot topics included developments in activated carbon, a resurgence in polyethylene, beverage trends, the federal government shutdown and education funding, reports from the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, and more.

The US market for shoulder arthroplasty implants is worth over 40% of the entire global market for all types of minor orthopedic replacement implants and is growing at 6.6% year on year, according to a recent report by The Business Research Company.

In case you missed them, several industry articles were published over the holidays, covering a variety of topics, from health-related product claims to the use of artificial intelligence in supply chains.

We also rounded up our most-viewed articles from 2018. Find out more below.

The world is shifting rapidly, and market research is no exception. Scan through the headlines of some of the top industry analysis pieces published on the MarketResearch.com blog in 2018.

Lack of visibility and transparency are considered some of the biggest challenges in the supply chain industry, at times causing disruptions and inventory imbalance.  These issues largely stem from an inability to store and make sense of the overwhelming amount of data scattered across different processes, sources, and systems.

Catch up on all the latest headlines from The Freedonia Group, Packaged Facts, Simba Information, and Kalorama Information.  This week, analysts dove into topics related to alternative transportation, the rise of online grocery shopping, changes in college course materials, in vitro diagnostics trends, and more.

According to a market intelligence report from BIS Research, the laparoscopic and endoscopic devices market is expected to reach $27.92 billion by 2025. The market is likely to grow at a CAGR of 4.80% from 2018 to 2025.

According to a market intelligence report from BIS Research, the global nano satellite market is expected to rise in revenue from $189.7 million in 2018 to $356.1 million in  2023, growing at a CAGR of 13.43%. This accelerated growth can be attributed to a number of factors.

According to a new report from Marketdata, the fertility clinics industry in the United States is booming, thanks to growing demand from American couples that have delayed childbearing, more widespread acceptance of fertility treatment and usage by gay couples, improved success rates, a strong economy, and significant demand from medical tourists coming from Europe and China. The industry is fragmented, largely untapped, and is ripe for consolidation.