Coal is becoming a hot commodity at U.S. utilities. Inventories at power plants have dwindled to their lowest point since the 1970s, the WSJ’s Ryan Dezember reports, and domestic thermal coal prices are hitting their highest levels in more than a decade as utilities race to restock ahead of the heating season. The Energy Information Administration says U.S. power sector inventories are about two-thirds of the five-year average for this time of year. The EIA says 2021 will mark the first annual increase in domestic coal generation since 2014, with coal’s share expanding to a 23% market share this year, up from 20% in 2020. That has helped halt a long-term decline in coal shipments on U.S. railroads. Volumes are up more than 11% so far compared to 2020, according to the Association of American Railroads, although carload shipments remain low by historical standards.

The last mile in e-commerce delivery is providing a windfall to industrial real-estate suppliers. Companies are gobbling up warehouse space at a rapid pace, and the WSJ’s Will Parker reports that a big share of the growth is coming in smaller facilities close to the population centers coveted by retailers. Real-estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle says more than half of U.S. industrial leasing in the third quarter involved users looking for space of less than 100,000 square feet. That is often the mark of a last-mile facility. Big distribution centers out in more isolated areas are still in high demand, but the push by retailers to stage goods closer to e-commerce customers is building a fast-growing market for logistics-focused developers. Those sites present challenges. Land closer to cities comes at a higher price, and  the facilities can trigger a public backlash over the trucks, pollution and industrial activity.

Retailers may have some financial kinks to work out in last-mile delivery. Drivers and customers are reporting super-fast shipments of small items that are wildly out of scale to the cost of getting goods to customers. The WSJ’s David Marcelis and Sarah Nassauer write that the deliveries are the result of the arms race in delivery, with retailers scrambling to get items to buyers ever faster. Walmart is moving more items from stores when that route is faster than the normal path through a warehouse, and it has enlisted drivers from food-delivery apps like DoorDash. For a driver in Portland, Ore., that has meant a $10 payment to ferry a bag of ponytail holders. Walmart might lose money on an individual order, as many e-commerce companies do. But the retailer envisions a future where deliveries to a specific neighborhood are so concentrated the effort becomes more cost-effective.

Economists expect the global economy to suffer a modest blow from the Omicron variant of Covid-19, depending on the potency of the strain itself. (WSJ)

An official gauge of China’s factory activity moved into expansion territory last month for the first time since August. (WSJ)

India’s economy expanded 8% in October in a tepid rebound tempered by weak consumer spending. (WSJ)

Eurozone inflation jumped to 4.9% in November, the highest reading since the beginning of the monetary union. (Dow Jones Newswires)

Zara's parent company named the 37-year-old daughter of the fast-fashion retailer's founder as its new chairwoman. (WSJ)

Japan's industrial output rose in October on easing supply constraints for automakers. (Reuters)

Amazon expects to surpass United Parcel Service and FedEx in U.S. package delivery volume next year. (CNBC)

More than 50 cargo ships are backed up off Canada’s Port of Vancouver as the region braces for more flooding. (Globe and Mail)

Some small retailers are hoarding goods to ensure they have enough stock on hand. (New York Times)

IKEA opened a combined store and fulfillment center in Manila that marks its entry into the Philippines. (BNN Bloomberg)

Pepsico has been using predictive analytics and other technology tools to help its customers keep shelves stocked. (CIO)

Contracted ocean container freight rates are growing at a double-digit pace. (The Loadstar)

Singapore-based port terminal operator PSA International acquired logistics operator BDP International from Greenbriar Equity Group. (Business Times)

Clarksons Research says dry-bulk commodity prices have surpassed the peak reached in 2008. (TradeWinds)

Trucking experts say California’s move to raise truck weight limits will do little to solve shipping backups. (Commercial Carrier Journal)

CloudTrucks raised $115 million in a Series B funding round backing its operations helping small truckers operate their business. (TechCrunch)

Transportation Insight bought transport management system provider SwanLeap in its fourth acquisition in two years. (DC Velocity)

CSX Executive Vice President and 25-year railroad industry veteran Mark Wallace died of cancer at 52. (Railway Age)

Alabama authorities are questioning a FedEx driver about why as many as 400 packages were found abandoned in the woods. (Associated Press)

Paul Page is editor of WSJ Logistics Report. Write to him at paul.page@wsj.com.

Follow the WSJ Logistics Report team: @PaulPage, @jensmithWSJ  @LydsONeal and @pdberger. Follow the WSJ Logistics Report on Twitter at @WSJLogistics.