The promise hovers, just over the horizon, of a Britain in which parents and children stroll from their homes with wicker baskets to pick up homely, local goods from storekeepers who know them by name.

ECONOMIST: Bagehot

Federated gave Stambouli free rein to access the inventory of its East Coast warehouse, letting him deliver goods directly from there to East Coast customers if he agrees to pick up the shipping tab.

FORBES: Reseller Sees Many Happy Returns

Maersk's Triple Es will be going into service at a time when growth in the volume of goods to be shipped is comparatively low - some experts don't expect it to pick up until 2015.

BBC: How much bigger can container ships get?