Linnea Kirgan

About Linnea Kirgan

Linnea Kirgan is an industry editor for First Research/Hoover's, covering retail and consumer topics. Follow her on Twitter.

D&B’s Small Business Health Index for May 2013

BIZMOLOGY – How is 2013 shaping up for the small business sector? D&B released its latest Small Business Health Index report this week containing key statistics such as payment patterns, failure rates, and credit utilization.

The good news is that the small business sector maintained its pre-recession strength, even though the overall index dropped slightly in March 2013. Real estate was one of the standout segments and a rising housing market could be a significant growth driver for small businesses in 2013.

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First Research adds four industry profiles

Soda doesn’t have the pop it once had with US consumers. With an increasingly health conscious public and a bevy of alternative beverage choices, soda manufacturers have seen demand fizzle in recent years. In 2012, US soft drink sales fell 1.2 percent compared to 2011, reaching the lowest level since 1996. Learn more about the trends and challenges facing this industry in our new profile: soft drink manufacturing.

Soft drink manufacturing is one of the four new industry profiles we completed in April 2013 in the First Research database.

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First Research adds four industry profiles

BIZMOLOGY- The wave of globalization has not skipped the world of scientific research, with collaborating across the borders becoming the norm. In fact, the number of science and engineering papers co-authored by an international team grew from 8 percent in 1988 to 40 percent in 2009, according to recent data. Find out what other challenges and opportunities are facing this industry in our new profile: Scientific Research & Development Services.

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Will consumers buy into same-day delivery?

BIZMOLOGY – The country’s leading retailers are gearing up for a major league battle over same-day delivery service for items ordered online. But the better question may be: do today’s shoppers even care about the faster service?

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First Research adds four new industry profiles

Each month, I bring you the latest industry profiles that we’ve added to the First Research database. Be sure to check them out, especially if you have an upcoming sales call or meeting in one of these industry sectors: Advertising Agencies, Electrical Products Wholesalers,

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First Research adds new industry content

Four questions to test your industry knowledge (and answers below):

Which health care sector saw job growth of more than 30 percent between 2002 and 2011?

Which regions do US food manufacturers view as ripe for expansion?

How much did the value of US residential construction spending grow in 2012?

Which manufacturing sector saw imports from China climb by 75 percent from 2007 to 2012?

The answers to these questions are in our newest First Research industry profiles: Ambulatory Health Care Services, Food Manufacturing, Industrial Control Products Manufacturing, and Real Estate.

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The top 10 Bizmology blog posts of 2012 (part 2)

Before welcoming in the new year, we wanted to usher out the old with a countdown of our most popular Bizmology posts of the year. Our top 10 posts cover a wide range of industries and topics. Which industry made the most appearances? Three posts were related to the fast-growing restaurant industry. Most popular topic? M&As popped up several times. (Posts #6 through #10 are covered in part one.)

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The top 10 Bizmology blog posts of 2012 (part 1)

It’s time to tip our hats to 2012 with a countdown of our most popular blog posts on Bizmology. As you might expect on a blog where our editors cover every industry under the sun, our top posts also cover a wide range of industries and topics from cities going bankrupt to battles between energy drink makers.

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New Dun & Bradstreet infographic: Tablet supply chain risks

If you don’t have a tablet yet, you may find one wrapped under the Christmas tree this year. Tablets are the gift of the season and only growing in popularity. Althought having the most popular product on the block has its rewards for top tablet makers such as Apple, Samsung, and Amazon.com, high demand can cause trouble by disrupting the supply chain. Our new infographic from the Hoover’s and First Research teams at D&B illustrates the challenges and opportunities facing tablet manufacturers and their complex supply chains.

More food products have added a charitable element to differentiate.

Mission-driven products appeal to consumers

More products that appeal to consumers’ philanthropic side have been appearing on retailers’ shelves lately. Companies like Project 7 make their missions plain on the side of their containers. Each can of Project 7 coffee sold provides assistance to a non-profit cause: offering meals for the hungry, shelter for orphans, medical treatment, help for war-torn regions, schooling, clean water, and tree plantings.