It was just a 0.4% bump, but the Crocs brand’s return to growth in North America snaps a losing streak of five straight quarters of declines, as measured by Needham analysts led by Tom Nikic.  “Crocs enjoyed a strong sandal season, as well as successful clog innovations” like the Echo 2 and Crocband Runner This won’t be the story for the whole year, but growth in North America remains a priority at both brands, CEO Andrew Rees told analysts. “The second quarter continued to build on our strong start to the year as consumers responded positively to product newness and marketing activations across channels and geographies,” Rees said.

Citing industry shifts as well as disruptions in the publishing supply chain caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Ingram Content Group said it is investing millions of dollars in an upgrade to its global printing and distribution network. In the U.S., Ingram said it is investing “millions of dollars” to increase capacity in its print-on-demand manufacturing plants located in Allentown, Pa., Jackson, Tenn., and La Vergne, Tenn. New printing, binding, trimming, and shipping/sortation equipment will be installed now through October, which the company said will increase U.S. capacity “by double-digit percentages,” adding that it expects to “hire hundreds of new associates in these facilities.”

“We made significant progress in fiscal 2024 and ended the year strong, delivering four consecutive quarters of expanding operating income and margin in a challenging revenue environment,” said Raj Subramaniam, FedEx Corp. president and chief executive officer. “These results are unprecedented in this current environment, reflecting our continued execution of our DRIVE initiatives and our resolve to transform FedEx while we deliver outstanding service to our customers. We expect this momentum to continue in fiscal 2025 as we advance our efforts to create the world’s most flexible, efficient, and intelligent network.” FedEx Ground operating results increased due to reduced structural costs resulting from DRIVE initiatives, increased yield, lower self-insurance costs, and growth in ground commercial volume. FedEx Freight operating results increased due to higher yield and effective cost management. FedEx Freight has announced plans to further optimize its operations and match capacity with demand through the planned permanent closure of seven facilities. FedEx Express operating results declined primarily due to lower international yields, partially offset by reduced structural costs from DRIVE initiatives and higher U.S. domestic package yields. During the quarter, FedEx Express permanently retired certain aircraft and related engines as part of its fleet modernization program.