CPGs grapple with a murky 2022 outlook as inflation, supply chain weigh on operations

The Latest

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  Tracking the shift to 24/7 supply chains

  Zim takes action to speed the flow of goods at West Basin Container Terminal, and ports see an improvement in aging imports after a holiday dip.

  Updated Jan. 13, 2022

  Regulation

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  Coronavirus: A lesson in supply chain risk management

  Companies are finding workarounds as COVID-19 cases and heightened e-commerce demand continue to disrupt supply chains.

  Updated Dec. 22, 2021

  Coronavirus

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  Tracking the speed, dwell and cars of Class I railroads

  This dashboard shows the average speed, dwell time and cars online for all of the Class I railroads operating in the United States.

  Updated Jan. 14, 2022

  Regulation

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  Constellation: Brown glass shortage lowering imported beer inventory levels

  Supply chain and transport challenges are contributing to low inventory levels and higher cost of product sold, according to the third largest U.S. beer producer.

  Updated Jan. 15, 2022

  Procurement

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  Butter prices skyrocket 40% on labor, supply woes: USDA

  Decreased cow herds, a driver and worker shortage, and higher packaging costs have led to a huge price hike for the dairy product.

  Coronavirus

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  Kroger levels up grocery delivery with Nuro's new autonomous vehicles

  The grocer will make deliveries in Houston using the tech company's third-generation model, which has twice as much cargo room, plus modular storage and new safety features.

  Logistics

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  Simply Good Foods increases prices to cover rising ingredients costs

  The seller of Atkins and Quest Nutrition products has faced inflation "from the high single digits to the low double digits for our total business," its CFO said.

  Operations

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  Zim offers incentives for container pickup at Port of Los Angeles

  It's another example of an ocean shipping company paying truckers to pick up laden cargo.

  Freight

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  Maersk pledges net-zero carbon emissions by 2040

  The carrier acknowledged that vessels will need to change and called on the industry to work on a new ship.

  Updated Jan. 12, 2022

  Freight

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  Midsize businesses are 'thinking big' for supply chain workarounds: survey

  Many of these firms are executing plays similar to larger businesses: bolstering inventory, diversifying suppliers and finding substitute materials and processes.

  Stat of the Week

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  Quits in transportation, warehousing sectors contribute to a November record: BLS

  Though the quit rate is high, workers are not necessarily getting out of the job market.

  Operations

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  East Coast snowstorms jeopardized suppliers, $5B in revenue: Resilinc

  The storm put an estimated 25,000 types of product at risk. It could take 23 weeks for facilities to recover.

  Procurement

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  Bed Bath & Beyond's legacy supply chain infrastructure hampered inventory flow

  The retailer is grappling with the same transportation and supply challenges other retailers are facing — all while transforming its own supply chain.

  Operations

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  'Omicron absenteeism' strains Conagra's supply chain

  Labor constraints are limiting output and raising costs for the packaged foods company.

  Coronavirus

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  UPS to handle record 60M returns during peak shipping season

  As returns activity increases, reverse logistics have become a vital part of the retail playbook to build customer loyalty. But costs are climbing.

  Logistics

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  Cathay Pacific cuts air cargo capacity after Hong Kong tightens COVID-19 restrictions

  The omicron variant is casting a long shadow over air transport.

  Coronavirus

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  After backlash, Intel removes Xinjiang advisory from annual supplier letter

  The company had advised suppliers to avoid sourcing products or labor from the region in China due to forced labor concerns but backtracked last month.

  Procurement

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  Dole seeks acquisitions, sourcing shifts to grow produce supply

  The company is focusing on growing its presence in high-selling categories like berries and avocados as it navigates supply disruptions to other products. 

  Procurement

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  Port of Oakland plans pop-up container yard as import surge slows exporters

  Pop-up facilities have become a common solution for ports around the country grappling with a deluge of imports.

  Freight

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  Flytrex drones can fly over people, vehicles with new FAA approval

  The approval will allow Flytrex's delivery drones to travel up to one nautical mile and carry small goods to up to 10,000 households in North Carolina.

  Logistics

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  Walmart to expand in-home delivery to 30M households

  The retailer will build a fleet of fully electric vans to rapidly scale the premium service from the 6 million households it currently serves.

  Logistics

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  Ikea doubles automation projects as store fulfillment grows

  More than half of the store's volumes were fulfilled from stores in FY21, according to an Ikea franchisee.

  Operations

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  White House delves into supply chain problems

  By the numbers: Biden reviews supply chain progress with task force

  The Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force touted progress in relieving port congestion, stocking store shelves and boosting the workforce.

  Regulation

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  5 years of supply chain disruptions and the lessons learned

  Hindsight has the virtue of revealing opportunities we may have missed.

  Updated Dec. 31, 2021

  Regulation

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  Uber Eats to offer autonomous food delivery early this year

  Uber's partnership with Motional — which will launch in Santa Monica, California — aims to increase delivery reach while lowering labor costs.

  Logistics

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