Bright eyes: Optimism is high among U.S. manufacturers, who indicate they have a more positive outlook on the economy, according to the 2018 National Manufacturing Outlook Survey. The survey, jointly released by Baton Rouge-based consulting firm P&N and the Leading Edge Alliance, includes responses from more than 450 manufacturing executives. A majority of respondents—81%—believe their revenues will rise this year, with 72% saying organic growth in the U.S. economy will be the primary opportunity to increase sales. Read the full report.
Vitamin-C fix: It took one of the worst flu seasons on record to get more Americans guzzling orange juice again, The Wall Street Journal reports. Orange juice sales rose 0.9% to 38.66 million gallons in the four weeks ended Jan. 20. That uptick marked the first year-over-year increase in nearly five years, according to Nielsen, though analysts don’t expect the trend to last much beyond flu season. Read more. A subscription may be required.
Return policy: L.L. Bean’s generous return policy is going to be a little less forgiving. The company, which has touted its 100% satisfaction guarantee for more than a century, is imposing a one-year limit on most returns to reduce growing abuse and fraud. The outdoor specialty retailer says returns of items that have been destroyed or rendered useless, including some purchased at thrift stores or retrieved from trash bins, have doubled in the past five years. Read more.
