Bayern Munich vs. Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund vs. Real Madrid: A Preview of the Champions League Semi-Finals

There was a joke doing the rounds on Twitter yesterday, in anticipation of Friday morning’s Champions League semi-final draw. The remaining four sides come from Spain and Germany – Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund – and the first part of the gag was that if the teams from the same country were drawn against each other, it might be seen as a fix by soccer fans. The payoff? If the teams were kept apart, it would still be viewed as a fix. It was hardly Abbott and Costello doing “Who’s on first?” but it may have made you smile (accusations have been made over the years that soccer draws have been fixed.)
As it turned out, the German and Spanish sides were kept apart from each other with Bayern Munich at home in the first leg to Barcelona on Apr. 23 and Borussia Dortmund taking on Real Madrid the following night (the return legs are on Apr. 30 and May 1 with Madrid vs. Dortmund being played on the 30th). If the Spanish giants, who both play their second legs at home, which could be seen as an advantage, make it through, then “El Clasico,” the name by which their games are known, will take place at London’s Wembley Stadium in the May 25 final. Let’s take a look at the mouth-watering match ups.
(MORE: Why Barcelona vs. Real Madrid Is More Than a Game)
Bayern Munich vs. Barcelona
The immediate subplot that comes to mind is how arguably the most interested observer of them all will be a certain Pep Guardiola. The former Barcelona manager, who won 14 trophies over four years for Barca, is taking over as Bayern boss next season, and has been on a year-long sabbatical in New York. Whether he attends these games isn’t yet known but he, in addition to soccer fans around the world, will know that Barca’s number 10, Lionel Messi, will be the key to this semi-final. Barcelona made heavy weather of their quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain, and required a not fully fit Messi to come off the bench and help rescue them during this week’s second leg (he sustained a hamstring injury in the first game). Messi was summoned after PSG took a shock lead, which would have been good enough to see the Parisian side through. While Messi didn’t score Barcelona’s equalizer, he played a major part in the build up to the goal, and it will be interesting to see if current coach, Tito Vilanova, will rest him over the next few weeks, with Barcelona all but assured the league title in Spain. “They gained in confidence as soon as he came on,” said PSG coach, Carlo Ancelotti. “He is the best player in the world, even if he is not fully fit.”
But Bayern’s own record against Barca is respectable, having won three, drawn two and only lost one (that said, Barcelona have never lost a European Cup knockout tie against German opposition, winning seven previous ties). Bayern, who are last year’s losing finalists, have dominated the German league, securing their 23rd title last weekend, and have looked pretty convincing in their attempt to go one step further than last season (switch out the reigning champions, Chelsea, for Dortmund, and this year’s semi-final line up is the same as last season). Bayern dismantled Juventus in the quarter-final, winning both games 2-0, and with players of the calibre of Arjen Robben, Mario Mandzukic and Bastian Schweinsteiger, they cannot be underestimated. And yet it’s entirely possible that even with their defensive frailties – the Catalan side hasn’t kept a clean sheet in the last 13 “Clasicos” – Barcelona could progress if Messi is on the field for the majority of the 180 minutes (or possibly 210, if it goes to extra time). The man who seems to have a lock on the best player of the year award can orchestrate play, both by scoring goals and making them for his teammates, which means that the “Clasico” final could be on the cards.
Prediction: First leg Bayern Munich 1- 1 Barcelona. Second leg Barcelona 2-0 Bayern Munich. Barcelona to go through 3-1 on aggregate (this is based on Messi playing the majority of both matches).

Borussia Dortmund vs. Real Madrid
Borussia Dortmund are the only unbeaten side left in the competition, which means that they should be taken seriously. Their charismatic coach, Jürgen Klopp, has instilled a never-say-die, gung-ho attitude in his young side, most recently proven by their stunning injury-time comeback to score twice and knock out Spanish side Malaga in dramatic circumstances (it was the first time a team needing to score two injury-time goals to win in the Champions League had done so since Manchester United in the 1999 final). They’ve only beaten Real Madrid once (losing twice, with three ties) but that 2-1 victory came in the group stages last October and they managed a credible 2-2 tie in the Bernabeu a couple of weeks later. Polish striker Robert Lewandowski is a constant threat, with Mario Götze and Marco Reus offering much promise. But their 12th man is, to put it mildly, their passionate home crowd, who will surely never give up hope.
But will passion be enough to get past one of the world’s best coaches, Jose Mourinho, who, in star man Cristiano Ronaldo, has at his disposal a player nearly the equal of Barcelona’s Messi? CR7 scored three of Madrid’s five goals in their 5-3 aggregate quarter-final victory over Turkish side Galatasaray, and it’s hard to imagine Dortmund being able to keep him from notching during the semi-final. Then again, Madrid probably won’t be able to keep a clean sheet in the first leg in Dortmund – Madrid has only kept the opposition out once in 10 Champions League games this season – and if Dortmund does score an away goal in the second leg, it’s anyone’s guess as to the eventual winner. “I don’t think Madrid will be afraid because of what happened in the group stage,” Dortmund general manager Hans-Joachim Watzke said. “They will respect us, just like we respect them.”
Madrid, semi-finalists for a record 24th time, and in the final four for the third successive season, are bidding to win the competition for a record 10th time, with Mourniho hoping to become the first man to win three European Cup or Champions Leagues with three different clubs. Many neutrals would love to see Madrid make it to the final, if their biggest rivals Barcelona also get there. But soccer cares little for romance, and Dortmund and Munich will be hoping to put on “El Clasico” of their own.
Prediction: First leg Borussia Dortmund 2-1 Real Madrid. Second leg Real Madrid 2-1 Borussia Dortmund. Semi-final to be decided on penalties, which is nigh on impossible to call!

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Posted in: Football

Microsoft Mulls a Smartwatch; Here Are the Company’s Strengths and Weaknesses

Jared Newman / Microsoft / TIME Tech Illustration

If smartwatches become the next big thing in tech, Microsoft apparently doesn’t want to be left out.
Citing supply-chain executives, the Wall Street Journal reports that Microsoft is working on designs for a touch-enabled watch. Microsoft reportedly asked suppliers in Asia to ship components for a potential device earlier this year. Still, it’s unclear if Microsoft will actually go ahead with the product.
In lieu of any hard details, all we can do is think about the advantages Microsoft would have, and the hurdles it would face, if it wants to bring a smartwatch to market.
Here are some strengths that come to mind, based on what we already know about Windows Phone:
Modern Style Is Watch-Friendly
The tile-based design of Windows Phone and Windows 8 seems tailor-made for a smartwatch. Users could set up a Live Tile or two that would show weather, time or other basic information. More tiles could fill the screen as notifications roll in.
Some Third-Party Apps Are Ready Already
One of the neatest features of Windows Phone is the way it lets you control third-party apps by voice. For instance, you can ask your tip-calculator app to crunch some numbers, or tell the Toggle app to control various phone settings. These types of commands would translate beautifully to a smartwatch, where touchscreen controls aren’t as feasible. Neither iOS nor Android support this level of voice commands for third-party apps, so Microsoft is ahead of the pack.
No Fragmentation Here
Compared with Google’s Android, Microsoft has tighter control over the software that goes onto Windows Phones. That means the company could guarantee a consistent smartwatch experience, whether your Windows Phone was made by HTC, Samsung or Nokia. You can’t say the same for Android, especially considering Samsung has plans to build its own smartwatch.
Digital-Wallet Building Blocks
Although adoption is slow-going, Microsoft’s Wallet for Windows Phone provides a way to pay with credit or debit by tapping your phone, and to store loyalty cards that can be scanned by bar code. This type of functionality could really take off on a smartwatch, as it would let you pay for stuff without ever reaching into your pockets. Microsoft already has the pieces in place.
And for weaknesses:
No Virtual Assistant to Speak of
Microsoft is behind Google Now and Apple’s Siri for virtual assistant-type services. Sure, you can search by voice on a Windows Phone, and you can dictate a note or a text message, but you can’t set alarms, schedule appointments or create an entire e-mail with voice only, as you can with Siri. Windows Phone also isn’t as proactive as Google Now, which can tell you about traffic on your next commute, or feed you information about upcoming trips. Virtual assistants would likely be at the heart of any smartwatch efforts from Apple and Google, so Microsoft will have to build out its own service if it wants to keep up.
Limited Hardware Experience
With its Surface RT and Surface Pro tablets, Microsoft has at least shown that it can make interesting hardware on its own. What isn’t clear, however, is whether Microsoft can lead the way on bringing entirely new technologies to market. If smartwatches become a big hit, it’ll likely be thanks to curved displays, which would allow for much slicker designs than the current crop of watches. Apple is reportedly eyeing curved displays for its own watches, and if history’s any indication, the company could prepay for the technology to guarantee a healthy supply at low prices. Samsung has its own curved-display tech in the making. Would Microsoft be willing to place a big bet on similar technology for a smartwatch of its own?
The Windows Phone App Problem
Windows Phone only makes up a small fraction of the market, especially in the U.S. where it accounts for about 3% of smartphones sold. As a result, app makers have been slower to support the platform, or have avoided it entirely. A smartwatch from Microsoft would run into the same issues; it’s possible that the latest and greatest apps would go to Apple’s platform and to Android first.
Keep in mind that it’s still early days for the smartwatch market, and the major tech players aren’t exactly rushing to get products out. Microsoft could bring some killer features and concepts to the smartwatch craze, but it also has some work to do.

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Posted in: IT N GADGET

Logitech’s New Harmony Remotes: One’s a Deluxe Model, and One’s Your Phone

Logitech's new Harmony Ultimate

In January, Logitech announced that it’s trying to sell off its division that makes Harmony universal remotes. But it’s going out with a bang: the company has announced its highest-end Harmony model to date, plus one aimed at people who don’t realize that they need a universal remote at all.
The top-of-the-line model is the Harmony Ultimate, a $350 unit with a 2.4″ color touchscreen along with tactile buttons for standard actions such as changing channels and adjusting the volume. As with all Harmonies, you set it up by telling it what devices you’ve got in your living room — it knows 225,000 of them by name. (This initialization process can now be performed without a PC.) You can set up multiple-device sequences of actions, so that, for instance, one command switches your TV to the right input for your Blu-ray player and starts a movie playing.

Logitech

Unlike most Harmonies, the Ultimate comes with a little box called the Harmony Hub, which serves as a middleman between the remote and your living-room gear. The Hub communicates with the remote via RF wireless; unlike infrared, it doesn’t require a clear line of site to work, and can sit inside a closed entertainment center. It talks to most consumer-electronics boxes using infrared, but (in a new feature) can also control the PlayStation 3, Wii and Xbox 360 via Bluetooth.
Oh, and the Ultimate can control Philips’ Wi-Fi-enabled Hue lightbulbs, letting you dim the lights when you watch a movie. It’s the first time that a Harmony remote has dabbled in home automation, although the company says that more such features might be on the way.
The Ultimate also lets you download iPhone and Android apps that let your phone serve as a remote with features similar to the Ultimate itself. But if that sounds exciting, you might be better off with the Harmony Smart Control, a $129.99 product based the concept of BYOR — bring your own remote. That’s because with it, the app is your primary remote.

Logitech

Like the Ultimate, Smart Control comes with the Harmony Hub and uses it as a bridge between the phone and your devices. Oddly enough, it also includes a conventional remote — a good-looking but basic model, without a touchscreen or other fancy features. Logitech isn’t trying to market this Harmony product to remote junkies, though; it wants people to think of it as a smartphone accessory. It doesn’t even mention or show the physical remote on the front of the Smart Control box.
So why include it at all? The company thinks, logically, that even if your phone is your remote,  a physical remote is sometimes handy as a backup — for instance, how do you mute your TV if you’re trying to answer the phone at the same time? So it includes the remote as a bonus, not unlike the prize in a box of Cracker Jack.
The Harmony Remote will go on sale this month; the Smart Control is due in May.

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Posted in: IT N GADGET

Toshiba’s New KIRAbook Is an Ultra-Ultrabook

 

One of the things I like about Intel‘s Ultrabook concept is that it’s surprisingly elastic. As long as a PC maker builds a laptop that’s relatively thin, relatively light and relatively fast-booting, it has wiggle room to go off in its own direction.
With the KIRAbook, which was announced today — I got a sneak peek in person last week — Toshiba has moved aggressively upscale. The company’s been making Ultrabooks all along, but this is by far its highest-end model to date. Actually, it may be the highest-end Ultrabook anyone’s made: even its cheapest version is $1599.99, a hefty starting pricetag for any computer, and $700 more than the cheapest MacBook Air.
Then again, Toshiba hasn’t stinted on the specs and industrial design. The KIRAbook’s most impressive feature is its 13.3″ displasy, with 2560-by-1440 resolution and 221 pixels-per-inch. It’s in the same league as Apple‘s Retina-display MacBook Pros and Google‘s ChromeBook Pixel; a resolution that high is something new for Ultrabooks and for Windows notebooks in general. Even Apple’s MacBook Air, from which the KIRAbook, like all Ultrabooks, draws inspiration, doesn’t have it.
Toshiba says that it color-calibrates every KIRAbook by hand before it leaves the factory, then stores those settings at the BIOS level so they can’t be accidentally erased. One downside to the display, as reported by PCWorld’s Michael Brown: the system supports video output to an external screen at a relatively low maximum of 1920-by-1080 resolution via HDMI.
In person, the KIRAbook doesn’t look quite as much like a MacBook clone as it does in the photograph above, though it’s certainly reminiscent of Apple’s design, down to the wedge shape. It’s made of AZ91 magnesium, not aluminum (Toshiba says it’s twice as strong) and at 2.6 pounds, it’s lighter than the Air. From what I saw, the build quality looked impeccably premium.
The trimmings are upscale, too: the machine ships with full versions of Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements, two years’ worth of Norton security services and a two-year warranty with 24/7 phone support based in the U.S.
The $1599.99 KIRAbook has an Intel Core i7 processor but doesn’t have a touchscreen; a $1799.99 version adds touch; and the $1999.99 one uses a zippier Core i7 chip. All run Windows 8, of course, and have 256GB of solid-state storage. They’ll be available at Microsoft Store locations — which are by far the best places to see the nicest Windows computers in person — but will otherwise be sold mostly online, where there’s more space for Windows machines which aspire to greatness rather than a particular price point.
When Toshiba showed me the KIRAbook, the first thing I was struck by was that this new computer had a new name. Generally speaking, the company likes to stick with product lines it’s had since the 1990s: Satellite, Tecra, Portege. It’s not officially saying whether we might see other KIRAbook PCs — but it’s already talking about KIRA as a brand and using the plural when speaking of the products that it will include, so it sounds like it hopes the nameplate is here to stay.

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Posted in: IT N GADGET

Masters Preview: Can Bubba Watson, Rory McIlroy Take Down Tiger?

 
The words uttered by Tiger Woods in the build up to this week’s Masters might make the rest of the field in Augusta feel a little less comfortable about their chances of slipping on the famous Green Jacket. Woods, 37, is bidding to win his 15th major, which would be his first since 2008, and fifth victory at the Masters, which he hasn’t won since 2005. One of the great storylines in golf is Woods attempting to top Jack Nicklaus’s record haul of 18 majors, and if Woods can justify his billing as the bookmakers favorite – he’s as low as 4 to 1 with some bookies, which seems to flatter him somewhat in a 93-man field – he may well be back on track.
As for those words, Woods said that “I feel very balanced,” going on to say that “I feel comfortable with every aspect of my game. I feel that I’ve improved and I’ve got more consistent, and hopefully I can continue it this week and the rest of the year.” Addressing the quest to pass Nicklaus, Woods noted that “We have very expansive careers and I feel like I’m basically right in the middle of mine. It took Jack a while to get to 18, all the way until he was 46 years old.”

But words need to be matched by actions, and Woods has certainly delivered on that front in 2013. He’s world number one thanks to recording victories at three out of four strokeplay events this year, and has six wins from his last 20 starts on the PGA Tour. His record at the Masters is impressive: Since winning it for the first time in 1997, he’s had 11 top 10 finishes. And apart from last year, where Woods could only manage a tie for 40th – his worst finish as a pro at Augusta – he’s come no worse than sixth since 2005.
And if Woods does put on the Green Jacket for a sixth time, it will be a far cry from his fall from grace on and off the golf course. His private-life scandal, which came to light over the Thanksgiving weekend of 2009, culminated in a divorce from Elin Nordegren. He slumped to 58th in the world rankings in 2011 and had well documented problems with his swing and injuries.

But if not Woods this year then who might be in the frame? His new Nike stablemate, the Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, is the only player to have won more than one major out of the last 17 played. He hasn’t been in top form since switching to Nike equipment, but shooting a final-round 66, and finishing second to Martin Laird at the Texas Open a few days ago, could bode well for the 23-year-old.

The past three Masters champions might also fancy their chances. Last year’s winner, Bubba Watson, is aiming to become the first player to retain the Masters since Woods in 2002 but, like McIlroy, isn’t playing to his potential though a share of 14th at Bay Hill recently was better than some of his other performances. The South African Charl Schwartzel wasn’t out of the top three in six consecutive tournaments around the turn of the year, winning three of them (and don’t rule out his compatriot Louis Oosthuizen, who lost in a play-off to Watson at Augusta last year). And then there’s Phil Mickleson, who won his third Green Jacket in 2010. “Lefty”‘s record at the Masters is as impressive as anyone’s, with 14 top 10 finishes from the last 18 at Augusta. But backers beware: Mickleson likes to compete the week before a major but a change in the PGA schedule scuppered that plan and he didn’t enter the Texas Open because he thought the course was too “tight and windy.”
And so the scene is set and Woods arguably remains the man to beat. He’s even had time on his hands to give a lesson to 14-year-old Chinese teenager Guan Tianlang, who will become the youngest player in Masters history. “Each time I play with him I feel a lot better and give myself some confidence and it’s very good,” Guan said. “He told me a lot. We really enjoyed it on the golf course.” But when Guan and 91 other players tee off on Thursday, they might end up learning something else: Tiger Woods is back.

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Posted in: Other Sport

Beer’s Taste Alone Can Trigger Desire for Drink

The latest research shows that even the taste of beer is sufficient to activate the brain‘s pleasure circuits.
“It’s the first drink that gets you drunk,” Alcoholics Anonymous warns its members, reminding alcoholics that even a sip can set off cravings. Now the latest research offers support for this effect, providing evidence that a tiny taste of beer raises dopamine levels in desire-related brain regions, especially in people with a family history of alcoholism.
The study, published in Neuropsychopharmacology, involved 49 male beer drinkers with an average age of 25; , seven were alcoholics and the remainder were either social or heavy drinkers. Twelve had a parent or sibling who had alcoholism.

For the experiment, led by David Kareken, director of neuropsychology at Indiana University School of Medicine, the participants first received a small dose of a radioactively-labelled compound that occupies dopamine receptors, which are activated by alcohol and can produce feelings of desire and pleasure, depending on their location. The agent allowed researchers to track changes in dopamine levels and locate where dopamine was more or less plentiful as the volunteers reacted to various tastes. While the participants had PET images taken of their brains, they received small spritzes of water, Gatorade or their favorite brand of beer on their tongues. They then rated the taste of the spray on its intensity and pleasantness.
Because the amount of beer consumed was so small, any changes in dopamine levels were not likely due to the alcohol content in the sprays — any variations in the brain chemical could be attributed to expectations and associations linked to the taste of the beverage.  Prior research in both humans and animals showed that dopamine tends to be released from a brain region called the ventral striatum when pleasure is anticipated or expected— so dopamine is often released from this part of the brain before a drug is taken or during sexual desire.

The research confirmed these findings, showing that simply tasting beer raised dopamine levels in the right side of the ventral striatum.
And not surprisingly, family history made a difference:  people with a family history of alcoholism had a four fold greater dopamine response compared to those without such a history. “[T]hose individuals who had close family members diagnosed for alcoholism showed dopamine increases in response to beer taste, raising the question whether a heightened conditioning, or an unusual ability of conditioned rewards to increase dopamine activity, underlies the development of alcohol (and perhaps other drug) abuse,” said Dai Stephens, professor of psychology at the University of Sussex, in a statement released by the Britain’s Science Media Foundation.  Stephens was not associated with the research.
Interestingly, the alcoholic participants did not show any heightened dopamine response compared to those with a family history of alcoholism. But because the volunteers were only in their 20s, it’s possible that any changes in the sensitivity of the dopamine response due to chronic heavy drinking might not have developed yet— or the number of participants might have been too small to show such changes.

The findings also don’t establish whether this increased dopamine activation is responsible for generating addictive behavior. “There is a debate as to whether more or less dopamine release corresponds with addiction risk,” the authors write. Some research suggests, for example, that some people may have a reduced response to the pharmacological effects of alcohol, and can drink without suffering the physiological effects that alcohol can have on decision-making and inhibitions.
What the results do suggest, however, is that people with a family history of alcoholism have a greater dopamine response and therefore may harbor a greater desire for alcohol. That may not necessarily lead to problem drinking, and more research will be needed to clarify how dopamine activation and alcoholism are related.

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Posted in: Health

How Walmart Plans to Bring Back ‘Made in America

 

Walmart doesn’t make anything. But the giant retailer could play a part in the manufacturing rebound that is taking place in the U.S. with its promise to buy $50 billion more U.S. made goods over the next decade for its Walmart and Sam’s Club stores. It’s a bit ironic, given Walmart’s vast global sourcing organization. But the same forces that are making the U.S. a more hospitable place for manufacturing —higher shipping costs and wage rates overseas among them—have prompted the company to reevaluate its sourcing on a variety of products. “This is a commitment around manufacturing and more economic renewal.  We see it as a critical issue for us in the American economy,” says Duncan Mac Naughton chief merchandising and marketing officer for Walmart U.S.
What Walmart sees is a way to lower costs while smoothing its supply cycle by looking more broadly at its distribution system. Although the company may be able to buy an item cheaper from China, the price it pays per piece doesn’t always reflect what it spends to get the product to the shelves.  “When we buy from overseas, we may buy more than we need to fill the container,” says Mac Naughton. “We’re looking at carrying costs through the system in addition to landed costs.” (Walmart has recently been criticized for being out of stock on items, due to a lack of store employees, but the company says its in-stock position is at record levels and that it hasn’t cut employee hours.)
(COVER STORY: Made in the USA)
Walmart is also hitting some unexpected supply snags as local demand increases in the developing countries where it buys goods. Recently, it found itself short of memory foam for mattress toppers and had to add a U.S. supplier, Sleep Studio, to augment its foreign source. That need to increase capacity can only increase as the middle class grows in India, China and elsewhere. The company will still likely rely on foreign suppliers for those products, such as cut-and-sew garments, that have a very high labor input. But given the more robust regulatory environment in the U.S., domestic suppliers are far less likely to run shoddy plants that endanger workers, as some of Walmart’s overseas subcontracters have been accused of doing.
Which suppliers stand to benefit from Walmart’s strategy? The company says that products with a “high cube”  (supply-chain speak for big and/or bulky, such as furniture) are candidates. So are products that have more highly-automated production, meaning lower direct labor, or products that have a less predictable sales curves and might have to be produced quickly to meet a sharp rise in demand. The company says items such as sporting goods, storage products, games and paper products are likely categories.
One of the first companies to benefit is 1888 Mills in Griffin, Georgia, which makes better-quality towels. Walmart’s version will be labeled “Made Here.”  1888 Mills had some spare manufacturing capacity, but since the size of Walmart’s orders can distort any vendor’s production, 1888 Mills needed a longer-term deal to be able to make the investment required to produce the needed quantities. “We made a commitment that was longer term than we would normally do. There’s transparency on the part of both parties: we worked with collaboratively with them,” says Michelle Gloeckler, Walmart’s senior vice president of home.
(MORE: How ‘Made in the USA’ is Making a Comeback)
Camping and outdoor goods company Coleman is another participant. The firm, owned by Jarden Corp. is manufacturing its hard-sided coolers and personal flotation devices in the U.S., adding 160 jobs according to Walmart.  Jarden, whose brands range from Quickie mops to K2 skis, has been ahead of Walmart on domestic manufacturing. Jarden has been on a reshoring kick for about two years.
Some of Walmart’s vendors will get a chuckle out of the idea that Walmart is willing to become more transparent. Walmart has a reputation for getting vendors into its buying rooms and beating the hell out of them on price, essentially leaving them with little margin. But Mac Naughton says that Walmart has to start thinking longer term, rather than season-to-season and that this kind of collaboration will reduce costs for both parties over time, paving the way for lower prices for consumers. For instance, a U.S. manufacturer can bypass Walmart’s distribution centers and deliver directly to stores, so-called “no touch” distribution.
Although $50 billion is a lot of goods, it’s about 10% of what Walmart will sell this year at retail. The company says the $50 billion is just a starting point, and that if other retailers joined the party the figure could be much, much higher, perhaps $500 billion. Walmart’s U.S. president, Bill Simon, suggested in a speech to fellow retailers that the power of their order books can help reshore U.S. production in textiles, furniture, pet supplies, some outdoor categories, and higher end appliances.
This isn’t Walmart’s first crack at a Made in America program. An earlier one fizzled, amid some bad publicity, because Walmart couldn’t get enough low-priced merchandise to sell. Americans may love their country, but they will buy Chinese if the price differential is too high. This time Walmart says consumers won’t have to pay up to buy domestic. “I hope the American consumer values this and we’ll make it easy for them,” says Mac Naughton. If not, consumers won’t make it easy for Walmart.

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Posted in: Economics