For all the talk of bringing manufacturing jobs back to the US, the reality is that employment in the sector peaked all the way back in June 1979, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, at 19.6 million. Fast forward to June 2019, that figure stood at 12.8 million. (After a pandemic dip, preliminary data for last month put the number at about 12.7 million in a bounceback.)

By the numbers: In fact, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics laid out the state of American manufacturing over the last 40 years. Here are three key charts it highlighted.

(All data is seasonally adjusted.)

When you’re asking a question that starts with “Hey, Alexa…,” a response of “Hm, I’m not sure about that,” isn’t great. And the wrong information is even worse.

Uberall, a customer-experience solutions provider, is working to make sure that doesn’t happen to retail businesses. Yesterday, it announced a partnership with Amazon Alexa to optimize the data that brick-and-mortar locations make available for voice searches, including addresses, hours of operation, inventory that’s available, and even where the nearest EV charging station is.

• Its 400+ retail partners include Staples, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, KFC, and Marks & Spencer, and it’s rolling out the service to its full client base, Uberall CEO and co-founder Florian Hübner told Retail Brew.

“Every retailer needs to work on [it] to serve you correctly online, make it worth your while and a memorable experience,” he said.

Presence of mind: The SaaS platform, founded in 2013 and made up of 400+ employees, manages the online presence for companies, from Google and Facebook, to Uber and Waze.

• In June 2021, Uberall raised $115 million, valuing it at ~$500 million; it also acquired Los Angeles-based location-marketing company MomentFeed.

“All these services have different ideas of how data should be structured and how it can be ingested,” Hübner said. “It’s our goal to make it really easy for business owners and operators and marketing departments to navigate this complex space.”

With so many channels to keep up-to-date, voice recognition can get lost in the shuffle, he noted. But it may be a worthwhile channel to focus on: Per eMarketer, ~40% of the US population uses voice search, and Amazon accounted for two-thirds of these devices sold between 2017 and 2021 in the US.

• For complex data, like inventory, stores often opt for updating their “most exciting” items, like the latest Nike drop, Hübner said.

+1: Some consumers have very specific needs, so Hübner noted that keeping many different data points up-to-date can also help businesses get a high ranking when someone asks a question like, “Where is the next Italian restaurant where I can get a gluten-free pizza that has wi-fi?”—EC

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Early in her professional life, Laura Willensky got the worst piece of business advice she’s ever received: She had a prestigious job in finance, but wanted to pursue a role in fashion—something Willensky told us she “was far more passionate about.” Not only was she advised not to go for it, but a former boss told her, “This will be the biggest mistake of your career.”

Well, after years of working at the likes of J.Crew, Victoria’s Secret, and Talbot as an exec, Willensky is now the chief commercial officer at Away.

How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t work in retail? At its core, my role as the chief commercial officer is to ensure that Away’s business, product strategies, and customer expectations are aligned with—and deliver against—the company’s financial goals. To do that, I oversee a team responsible for providing our customers with seamless, engaging, and revenue-driving touchpoints across our e-commerce site and our retail locations. Managing the end-to-end process from product concept to launch, our team works in close partnership with colleagues in design, development, marketing, and finance in order to ensure our customers love their experience with our brand as much as they love Away’s products.

One thing we can’t guess about your job from your LinkedIn profile: Driving commercial success is so much more than just selling products and driving growth. For me, true commercial success comes from working across the entire organization to ensure that we are always putting our customers first: anticipating their wants and needs, solving for their pain points, and nimbly responding to evolving trends.

One trend that you’re most excited about: I am incredibly excited to see retail leaders continuing to discuss health and wellness as a pillar within their industries, especially within the travel sector.

What was the most memorable job you had in high school or college? One summer in high school, I worked in a men’s suit factory on the sewing line. I worked long hours, alongside expert suit makers, in a very technical environment. Although I had very little experience, I was driven to learn as much as I could from the experienced craftsmen and craftswomen beside me. Not only did I learn how to make a suit, but the job instilled a deep value for the skill and craftsmanship it takes to make any product. And for that, I’m immensely grateful, as it still informs how I work to this day.

What’s the most embarrassing product in your order history from Amazon that you’re actually willing to admit? Nothing too embarrassing to admit to, but the sheer quantity of my family’s online orders can sometimes make my entryway look like a FedEx processing center.

Today’s top retail reads.

Thread count: Because Los Angeles just raised its minimum wage from $15 to $16.04, some apparel manufacturers there may raise their prices. (WWD)

Totalled recall: How to prevent a product recall from being the death knell for your startup. (Inc.)

Mensch fry: A McDonald’s franchise owner who closed his location to remodel it kept paying his 90 employees their regular wages for three months. (Washington Post)

Candid convos with industry icons: Hosted by Brew co-founder Alex Lieberman, the Imposters podcast delves deep into the personal and mental challenges some of the biggest names in biz have faced while reaching their most resounding achievements. Listen here.

Catch up on the Retail Brew stories you may have missed.

• How a former P&G exec is helping take the risks out of CPG launches
• Dairy supply-chain startup raises $20 million in funding
• A look back at the Great Recession and how it changed the retail landscape