Logistics service providers and freight forwarders are optimistic that the economy will continue to grow, and provide opportunities for expansion in 2013, according to a survey by Transport Intelligence, a global logistics research firm, and Kewill, a provider of trade and logistics software.

So much for the enduring power of big-box brands. On Oct. 31, the owner of Circuit City and CompUSA's brands decided to kill the online remnants of the former chains, redirecting traffic to TigerDirect.com.

In terms of logistics, Africa is one of the most exciting investment opportunities anywhere in the world, according to Sub-Saharan Logistics 2012, a report from Transport Intelligence, or Ti. Its untapped natural resources are vast, and foreign direct investment has poured in as Africans' purchasing power grows.

When Tony Earley was asked recently to identify the most serious issue facing the nation's giant utilities in the next 20 years, the answer was easy. It is, Pacific Gas and Electric Co.'s CEO wrote, "the huge need for investment in basic infrastructure, from pipes and power lines to poles, transformers and more."

DeltaTRAK, a cold chain, environmental monitoring and food safety management solutions provider, has introduced the Cold Chain Vaccine Monitoring Card.

European industrial real estate values have declined 21.9 percent from the pre-crisis peak in 2007, and have subsequently only recovered by 1.3 percent on average. Current values are attractive relative to replacement costs and the pattern of value recovery in the U.S. following the global financial crisis.

China is evolving from an export-driven manufacturing economy to a more balanced consumer-driven developed economy, and its logistics landscape is under pressure to adapt, according to new research by Jones Lang LaSalle. China's evolution has driven three key trends: the rise of the domestic middle class, rising wages and diminished cost advantages in manufacturing, as well as the rapid development of domestic infrastructure. And these trends are creating long-term opportunities for U.S. companies.

The primary business of a port is serving as a hub for water-borne commerce and all of the logistics that entails, with each port competing for the business of shippers and container operators. Every investment made by a port authority, from a crane to a dredge to a security checkpoint, must be based on how this activity will not only position the port to current customers, but how it will affect the attraction of future customers.

The Stifel Nicolaus Logistics Confidence Index declined for the sixth consecutive month, according to the latest survey undertaken by Transport Intelligence. The index for both the current and expected situation combined registered 47.3 for the month, down from 47.6 in September.