On June 22^nd, President Barack Obama signed into law the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21^st Century Act, an update to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) that will make a number of changes affecting the solvent industry and other chemical suppliers. While these changes give the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) greater control over the evaluation and regulation of chemicals, and could potentially have profound effects on the solvent industry for years to come, on the whole solvent suppliers are likely to fare well in the new regulatory environment.

Like it or loathe it, it seems like everyone has one. No, not “an opinion,” a smartphone.

How many people in the US have a smartphone? About 60% of the total population in 2015. No small feat, considering the devices really only gained consumer market traction when Apple introduced the first-generation iPhone in June 2007.

What’s driving smartphone adoption? It certainly isn’t the ability to share meaningful voice conversations with friends and family — you don’t need a smartphone for that. The real value lays in the ever-expanding range of capabilities smartphones possess and the services they can access.

Wine incites passion — in winemakers and sommeliers, in world-renowned wine writers, and in people who have the occasional glass with dinner or keep a bottle or two around the house. 

Whether it’s a celebrated vintage from a bygone era purchased at auction or an inexpensive selection grabbed from a display near the cash register for a quick weeknight dinner or Sunday picnic, wine needs to be protected from oxygen. It’s the packaging that does this, and while that packaging doesn’t stir the kind of emotion that the wine inside may, many people are very opinionated about how the wines they drink are packaged. 

It is said that sooner or later, all that is old is new again. When it comes to household cooking appliances, all that is old needs to be replaced again — eventually.

The need for replacement is the fundamental driver of demand for US household cooking appliances, which include gas cooking appliances, electric cooking appliances, and microwave ovens. Consumers often buy a new model upon moving into a new home, or when an old appliance becomes nonfunctional or outdated. Of course, purchase decisions are influenced by key trends.

In our data-driven age, are you searching for ways to present your story in a concise way? With more quantitative or qualitative data than ever, the ability to visualize your insights effectively is a critical skill.

We’re here to help you summarize and display information in a clear, understandable format. When presenting data analyses, you have the choice of bar and pie charts, line graphs, and frequency distribution tables, just to name a few. The table below explains these three types of data presentation styles and includes some tips to help you make the most of each format.

US demand for distilled spirits is forecast rise 2.2% annually, amounting to 580 million gallons in 2020. Even in a country expected to total nearly 335 million people, that’s a lot of booze. 

The distilled spirits industry can thank Don Draper, the alcohol swilling ad man from the retro-themed television show Mad Men, for reigniting a cocktail culture among US consumers, particularly millennials. While Draper might have ordered a simple Old Fashioned (or three?) with lunch, today’s drinkers are more creative; cocktails with exotic inspirations — created, of course, by bartenders refashioned as “mixologists” — are de rigueur at many bars and a growing number of restaurants.

Summer is the season of blockbuster movies, weekend barbecues, garden weddings, and, of course, chain restaurants making every attempt to lure in new customers with seasonal cold beverage offerings. This year alone, we saw Starbucks introduce its blended Granitas drinks (only available after 3 pm as a part of its Sunset Menu), Chick-fil-A debut a frozen lemonade, and Checkers and Rally’s whip up six different frozen drinks and smoothies as a part of its new Chill Spot menu.

There are a number of trends causing shake-ups in the personal care appliance market, leading to some interesting questions.

• Why is a vacuum company making hair dryers?
• How do the increasingly active lifestyles of elderly Americans present an opportunity for appliance companies?
• And what on Earth is “peak beard”?

If you want the answers to all these questions (and more), read on.

While we know it’s important to not judge a book by its cover, this idea disappears when it comes to everyday shopping and buying decisions. With the average supermarket in the US carrying more than 40,000 items, brand owners face a daunting task in attracting attention to their products. In addition, the majority of buying decisions are made in stores. These factors make attractive and distinctive packaging a key component in the marketing of retail products.

When it comes to transportation in the US, most people drive themselves. The US Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2014 indicate that about a quarter of American workers get to work primarily by driving themselves. In 2014, there were 214 million licensed drivers in the US, and light vehicles traveled 2.7 trillion miles.

However, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, between 2000 and 2015 consumer spending on public transportation services outgrew spending on new motor vehicles, with the former increasing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.2 percent and the latter at a CAGR of 1.8 percent. In 2015, consumer spending on public transportation exceeded $100 billion in the US for the first time ever.