During the mid-2000s, when emerging markets were growing at breakneck speed, the cavernous gap separating industrial and developing economies began to close. This convergence took place against a backdrop of economic liberalization, built on the idea that the financial systems of all nations would dovetail. That period is now over.

As many as 96 percent of Americans are now shopping online, averaging about five hours a week making online purchases. A recent survey and report from Bigcommerce in partnership with Kelton Global looked at the online shopping habits of 1,000 U.S. consumers and found that online shopping is becoming a necessity for some consumers.

In the world of e-commerce, the packaging is more than just a box. It's meant to "inspire and inform" consumers.

Companies are increasingly embedding sustainability resources into their supply chain organizations. The latest State of the Profession report from GreenBiz, which examines how the role of sustainability executives has evolved over the years, shows a growth in supply chain sustainability efforts.

The top four emerging trends driving the global pallet market are greater emphasis on automation processes and use of new technologies, vertical integration by companies, growing preference for block pallets, and the rise in power of pallet pooling companies, according to Technavio transportation and logistics research analysts.

"Greening" your company, via any number of means, obviously brings multiple benefits to the physical environment. But while going green may be the responsible thing to do, many companies shy away from these sustainability measures. The reason is their (common) misconception that the costs will outweigh any benefit, that there is no bottom-line value in environmentally responsible business practices. In fact, this belief may be false, because setting a green path can often improve your bottom line.