cardboard box index noun [C, usually S]
UK /ˌkɑːd.bɔːd ˈbɒks ˌɪn.deks/ US /ˌkɑːrd.bɔːrd ˈbɑːks ˌɪn.deks/
a way of measuring the health of the economy according to how many cardboard boxes are being produced or shipped, since these are widely used for packaging the goods that people buy
The cardboard box index is a tracker that provides a different angle on supply chain data. Drops in cardboard shipments often precede slowdowns in manufacturing, retail, and e-commerce. It tanked in the 2008 crash and flagged early weakness in late 2022.
[Hot Topics, linkedin.com, 2 June 2025]
vibecession noun [C]
/vaɪb.ˈseʃ.ᵊn/
a period when people feel that the economy is doing badly, even if it is actually stable or growing
But there is a disconnect between people’s negative perceptions about the economy and the latest, relatively promising macroeconomic data. Despite the doom-and-gloom outlook, the UK economy is showing signs of improvement. This disparity between consumer sentiment and economic data has been dubbed a “vibecession”.
[raconteur.net, 14 April 2025]
cloudflation noun [U]
/klaʊd.ˈfleɪ.ʃən/
the rising costs of cloud-based computing services
The past decade has shown how easily IT spending can spin out of control due to issues like “cloudflation” and shadow IT. Organizations are now more aware than ever of the importance of getting ahead of unnecessary spending — which is why increased IT budgets in 2025 will likely be accompanied by greater pressure on IT teams to optimize resources from a cost perspective.
[itprotoday.com, 2 January 2025]