As peak retail trade order season nears — July is the official start of the back-to-school and holiday order inventory build that runs through October — executives in the shipping industry are keeping a watchful eye on order activity. Holiday orders are traditionally imported starting in August, with the manufacturing orders for these items made by retailers as much as six months in advance. Still, category by category, demand levels vary. SEKO executives said they are seeing consumers trade down in the product, but as far as which categories will be the big winners this peak season, it's too soon to know. "The pig in the python has yet to go through when it relates to inventory" said Hans Hickler, president of Americas for SEKO Logistics.

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Persons: James Gagne, Gagne, it's, Hans Hickler Organizations: Federal, SEKO Logistics Locations: U.S