Pulp & Paper Industry

[winston]

The cardboard box indicator

US supply chains are recovering from their pandemic-induced kinks — just in time for a potential recession and falling demand for goods.

One key indicator of that demand is flashing warning signs: cardboard box sales are falling.

"Sales of cardboard boxes have been declining over the past year, reflecting the ongoing weakness in the goods part of the economy," wrote Torsten Slok, chief economist at Apollo Global Management.

His research shows that sales of boxes dropped by more than 10% in December of 2022 over the same period the year prior.

Nearly every package Americans order to their door shows up encased in cardboard. If there's less demand for those boxes, it could mean that retailers are preparing for fewer sales.

Source: CNN