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Session 2 – DB – Trend 2

Briefly describe two important recent changes in the macroenvironment of US business in each of the following areas. What is the significance of these changes on business strategy?
Economic
Employment/Unemployment & Real GDP
Although employment (professional and business services, food services and manufacturing) rose by 163,000 in July, the unemployment rate was essentially unchanged and remained at 8.3 percent.
Real gross domestic product -- the output of goods and services produced by labor and property located in the United States -- increased at an annual rate of 1.5 percent in the second quarter of 2012, (that is, from the first quarter to the second quarter). http://www.econedlink.org/lessons/index.php?lid=1081&type=educator Social
Retail Industry http://smallbusiness.chron.com/role-macro-environment-retail-industry-33419.html Retail stores like Walmart and Home Depot operate within a “macro environment,” or the sphere of influence outside the company that shapes how companies do business. Online shopping, barcodes and computerize billing systems are examples of how stores like these carry out its day to operations.
Technology
Technology not only creates new products for retail companies to sell, but also plays a major role in changing the way retail companies do business. Technological advancements such as the Internet offer retail customers additional shopping options. Technology also opens new retail markets, such as the Home Shopping Network and web-based retailers such as Amazon.com. Barcoding and computerized billing systems have improved the retail industry by allowing retailers to develop new processes that increase efficiency. Point-of-sale systems increase sales by allowing retailers to process cash, check, and credit- and debit-card payments.
Internet & E-Commerce
There were 2 billion internet users are

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