Retailers around the world are adjusting their business models in the face of COVID-19 social distancing requirements. Two consumer reports on shopping pattern changes during the pandemic offer two main findings: a) It is crucial for merchants to create ways to connect with new and long-term customers; and b) Consumers can not fully solve the empty shelf problem through buying online.

The U.S. Postal Service recently has been battered by a decline in the number of packages it delivers, partly caused by the coronavirus situation. It reportedly is losing $2 billion each month and will be "illiquid" by Sept. 30. The USPS is chartered to do the hard and often unprofitable work no one else wants to do, but the White House has rejected talk of a bailout for the service.

As a result of the pandemic, USPS, which has run at a loss for years, is even more cash-strapped. It expects to lose $2 billion each month during the pandemic. That prompted Postmaster General Megan Brennan to ask Congress for $50 billion in funds -- $25 billion to offset lost revenue from declining mail volume due to the pandemic, and another $25 billion for modernization.

In this uncertain and increasingly homebound era, customers are turning online for everything from groceries to cat food. It's more important than ever to make sure that websites are optimized for the highest-possible customer engagement and conversion. E-commerce optimization is one game that companies struggling for market share in the midst of a pandemic must play.

With something like 380 websites being created every minute, building an e-commerce shop can be a daunting task. It's easy to look at all of the success stories out there and think, "How could I possibly be that lucky?" However, the opportunity for growth in e-commerce is not slowing down. E-commerce sales are projected to grow 85 percent from their 2019 totals by 2022.

Merchants soon will be able to sell products on Google Shopping at no charge. Previously, they had to pay per click, but the cost was not fixed. There was no minimum, but they had to set a maximum for ad spend and Google would stop displaying their ads once the maximum was reached. Starting next week, search results on the Google Shopping tab will consist primarily of free product listings.

Oracle and Zoom just entered a deal that for once is more about technological audacity than about dollars -- a partnership to host Zoom on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. In just a few months -- basically since the beginning of the novel coronavirus pandemic -- Zoom has seen demand for its service grow from about 10 million daily meeting participants to more than 300 million.

You can reduce the story of CRM to a lot of things, especially its many component parts. Social networking, cloud computing and analytics are mentioned often. We don't need an exhaustive list, but if we stop there I think we miss a lot. To me CRM isn't about the parts, although like most people following the industry, I get a modicum of joy when a vendor adds something new to the toolbox.

Consumers and companies worldwide have ramped up online ordering for software products and digital goods as they struggle to improve productivity and security while working remotely and spending more time at home. The sharp spike in online commerce aligns with the timing of the current global pandemic. Software-based offerings accounted for the highest levels of growth.

Shopify has unveiled an app that lets users discover local businesses, receive relevant product recommendations from their favorite brands, check out effortlessly, and track all their online orders. It can gather and track orders automatically, but it also works without auto-tracking. Consumers can get a customized feed with deals, trending items and recommendations from their favorite stores.

Google is integrating its Google Meet videoconferencing application with Gmail, and it already appears as an option in some users' accounts. It is making the service available to everyone for free in the coming weeks, on the Web and through mobile apps for iOS and Android. Users will be able to start or join Meet videoconferences from within Google Calendar as well.

Salesforce has announced a new version of Work.com designed to help businesses function safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. "Work.com is a completely new initiative using an existing domain name that we previously owned," said Salesforce spokesperson Joel Steinfeld. "Our focus is on speed and moving as quickly as possible to help our customers, and Work.com is an optimal way to do that.

A reignited fire at the Bluefin Restaurant in Souris, P.E.I. has been extinguished says Souris Chief Colin LaVie.

Sign makers in P.E.I. have been busy since the province announced its plans to ease back COVID-19 restrictions, as businesses are ordering signs and decals ahead of reopening.

A petition is being circulated to get a $600,000 bridge replacement project near Millvale scrapped.

With opposition parties continuing to call for the legislature to be convened, P.E.I. Premier Dennis King says that opportunity for them to examine the government’s spending is coming.

The fire which destroyed the Bluefin restaurant in Souris, P.E.I. has been tough for the community’s residents, says restaurant owner Amber Jenkins.

Women on P.E.I. are having a harder time holding onto their jobs than men in the COVID-19 pandemic, which runs contrary to the national trend.

P.E.I. had the lowest unemployment rate in the country in April, but behind that seemingly strong showing are hiding problems in the labour market.

Tourism Cavendish Beach says it is hopeful the Confederation Bridge and province will reopen to certain visitors as soon as it is safe to do so.

Officials with Maritime Pride Eggs say their Summerside, P.E.I., egg facility will cease processing operations on June 5.

Health PEI plans to create a COVID-19 unit within the Prince Edward Home to be used for any long-term care resident — living in any long-term care facility on the Island — who is diagnosed with the virus.

RCMP in Souris, P.E.I., say an incident that shut down the community from 6 p.m. Friday until close to midnight ended with one man in custody and no injuries.

The craft brewing industry in P.E.I. is suffering, with sales down from about 40 to 80 per cent.

With time on their hands, many Islanders have tapped into their creative sides. Some people who are artistic had more time to create and try new things, while others discovered untapped potential as makers. 

The owner of P.E.I. Brewing Co., the oldest craft brewery on P.E.I., says the business went from preparing for its best year to its worst year.

Artists from Michigan and around the world are painting 50 murals in Flint to refocus the city's image on art rather than the lead-tainted water crisis.

A $28.8 million spending bill nearing legislative approval would allocate funding to combat lead in Michigan drinking water systems and investigate sexual assaults by clergy.

Michigan officials are ordering a Flint hospital to take steps to reduce the risk of exposure to Legionella bacteria and Legionnaires' disease at the facility.

Prosecutors who dropped charges against eight people in the Flint water scandal explained their decision in a public forum Friday night, telling frustrated, shocked and saddened residents they must look at hundreds of mobile devices and millions of documents that a previous investigative team never reviewed.

Former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder is headed to Harvard University to teach, study and write on subjects related to state and local government.

A former FBI agent who investigated the Flint water scandal says the team was moving toward new charges when new prosecutors took over.

Former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder says he won’t continue with a fellowship at Harvard University following backlash over his role in Flint’s water crisis.

The Flint Registry is holding in-person enrollment across the city of Flint all week. Officials are trying to track the health of residents made ill by the Flint Water Crisis.

Nearly 5 ½ years ago, the water source for the city of Flint was switched in an effort to save money. A disaster followed resulting in deaths, illness and mistrust of government. Tuesday at 10:00 p.m. on WKAR-TV, the documentary series Frontlin e examines the crisis by bringing to light conversations and documents never seen on television before. We spoke with Abby Ellis, the Michigan native who is the film’s director.

Voters have elected a new mayor in Flint, Michigan, where recovery from a lead-contaminated water crisis remains a major issue.

The Flint Water Crisis captured national attention about the dangers of lead contamination in public water supplies. Now, nearly six years after the problem was first detected, health officials are reporting on the well-being of children in Flint.

If you’re feeling awful, you know who to blame.

Well, there’s always the good old “incomplete.”

Always look on the bright side of life.

Suddenly, the White House loves Bernie Sanders.

What this country needs is another group with a very long name.

Almost every movie reminds Trump of … something it’s not.

Commentary on Red Book statistics: Shaping the future of payments, November 2019

The BIS Statistical Bulletin is published quarterly and summarises all BIS statistics in tabular form. It includes introductions to each data set and a glossary of statistical terms.

Global cross-border bank claims continued to expand rapidly, growing at 9% year on year. As in previous quarters, the expansion was mainly due to claims on the non-bank sector, which grew at 12% year on year. The growth in claims on non-bank financial institutions was particularly strong (+17%). European banks' cross-border lending, which went through a prolonged contraction after the Great Financial Crisis (GFC) of 2007-09, has been expanding again since the start of 2018.

US dollar credit to non-bank borrowers outside the United States grew by 5% year on year at end-September 2019, to reach $12.1 trillion. Euro-denominated credit outside the euro area continued to expand at a fast pace (9%). In contrast, the growth rate of yen-denominated credit outside Japan fell to 1%. Strong debt securities issuance drove expansions in US dollar and euro credit to emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs). US dollar credit to EMDEs grew at an annual rate of 3% (to reach $3.8 trillion); euro credit to EMDEs expanded by 9% (to reach €0.7 trillion).

Global real residential property prices rose 1.4% year/year in aggregate in Q3 2019, reflecting subdued developments both in advanced (+ 1.5%) and emerging market economies (+ 1.3%).

The annual growth rate of global cross-border bank claims fell to 6%, down from 9% at end-September 2019. The short-term share of foreign banks' claims, a key indicator of external vulnerability, is elevated for a number of borrowing emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs). Borrowers in EMDEs had untapped credit lines of $610 billion, or roughly 10% of the stock of global foreign claims on EMDEs at end-2019. Saudi Arabia joined the reporting population for the locational banking statistics (LBS) with data starting from Q4 2017, bringing the number of countries reporting these data to 48.

US dollar credit to non-bank borrowers outside the United States grew by 6% in 2019, to reach $12.2 trillion at end-2019. The annual growth rate of euro-denominated credit outside the euro area slowed to 6%, while that of yen-denominated credit outside Japan turned negative (-1%). In 2019, euro-denominated credit overtook US dollar-denominated credit as the largest stock of foreign currency credit to emerging Europe. The debt securities share in US dollar credit outside the United States has risen considerably over the past decade across a number of major borrowing regions.