Tag: advertising

America’s Dying Industries

Shoe Manufacturing

This comes as no surprise.  Still it hurts to see these numbers.  As you read each of these items you know the reason for the decline in business.  This was published on Huffington Post.  The reasons are as follows:

  1. The photofinishing decline was the result of the digital camera era and the sharing of photos on internet web sites.
  2. The high cost of labor now makes appliance repair more expensive than buying a new item.
  3. Advertising revenue has declined at most newspaper and magazine publications thanks to the internet and smartphones.
  4. Manufacturing of consumer products is now cheaper in most other nations of the world.

– Photofinishing

Revenue decline 2002 to 2012  -70%.  $15.509 million to $897 million

– Recordable Media Manufacturing

Revenue decline 2002 to 2012  -53.6%.  $4.144 billion to $3.311 billion

– Money Market and Other Banking

Revenue decline 2002 to 2012  -51.2%.  Industry revenue in 2012 $834 million

– DVD, Game and Video Rentals

Revenue decline 2002 to 2012  -49.6%.  Industry revenue in 2012 $5.894 billion

– Newspaper Publishing

Revenue decline 2002 to 2012  -48.1%.  Industry revenue in 2012 $29.302 billion

– Women’s/Girls’ Apparel Manufacturing

Revenue decline 2002 to 2012  -57.7%.  Industry revenue in 2012 $8.603 billion

– Costume/Team Uniform Manufacturing

Revenue decline 2002 to 2012  -49.9%.  Industry revenue in 2012 $986 million

– Appliance Repair

Revenue decline 2002 to 2012  -44.5%.  Industry revenue in 2012 $3.684 billion

– Hardware Manufacturing

Revenue decline 2002 to 2012  -44.5%.  Industry revenue in 2012 $7.484 billion

– Shoe/Footwear Manufacturing

Revenue decline 2002 to 2012  -39.6%.  Industry revenue in 2012 $1.712 billion

Medicare for Everyone

Even before the annual enrollment period for Medicare had started (October 15) I was receiving the start of insurance company campaigns for my enrollment.  Since then the volume of mailings has become an avalanche.  This has caused me to ask: Are there significant profits to be made in Medicare enrollments?

The answer appears to be YES.  AARP’s single largest revenue source is royalties from United Health Care Group.  This is no surprise.  I receive solicitations from AARP to join United Health Care every single month of the year.  34% of their revenue comes from United Health Care.  In 2011, the AARP generated $458 million in royalty fees from so-called “Medigap” plans.  Read more about AARP’s special treatment at this forbes.com link.

Other companies solciting my enrollment include: Blue Cross, Blue Shield, SCAN, Aetna, and Humana.

This campaign leads me to the conclusion that Medicare for all would be a real solution to affordable health care for everyone.