Deep Dive: Page 3
Industry insights from our journalists
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Carlos Osorio/AP
Why delivery robots face a regulatory ‘nightmare’
Laws for sidewalk-roaming bots have taken hold across states. But variances in each bill complicate the industry's expansion plans.
Max Garland • April 26, 2023 -
Spencer Platt/Getty via Getty Images
An unglamorous solution to fashion’s sustainability problem: make less stuff
Industry players are shifting to new strategies amid corporate responsibility pushes and efforts to stop the destruction of unsold goods.
Lauren Schenkman • April 20, 2023 -
Courtesy of FedEx
FedEx and Amazon still haven’t figured out sidewalk delivery robots. Will mass adoption ever come?
Delivery giants' tests of autonomous bots fizzled out. But many industry insiders still believe that the technology can catch on.
Max Garland • April 12, 2023 -
hapabapa via Getty Images
Paper industry struggles to phase out PFAS
Finding alternatives to toxic "forever chemicals" remains an ongoing issue within the packaging sector.
April Reese • April 7, 2023 -
Allison Joyce/Getty Images via Getty Images
3 years later: How COVID-19 exposed the vulnerability of suppliers and workers to the power of big buyers
A tidal wave of order cancellations in early 2020 had dire repercussions for laborers and their families. The consequences are still being felt.
Ben Unglesbee • March 31, 2023 -
Courtesy of Walmart press kit DroneUp announcement
What drone companies need to do to reach lofty delivery goals
Zipline and Alphabet's Wing aim to scale up and reach more customers, but it will take more than their internal capabilities to secure long-term success and adoption.
Max Garland • March 29, 2023 -
Courtesy of PepsiCo
Food companies say they can reduce their emissions this year. Experts are skeptical.
Academics and environmental groups say CPGs’ reliance on regenerative agriculture and carbon credits may not be enough to realistically hit their time-based goals.
Chris Casey • Feb. 6, 2023 -
Permission granted by Vita Coco
Here’s how CPGs are bracing for more volatility in 2023
Supply chain disruptions are prompting companies to revamp operations to weather a period of prolonged uncertainty.
Christopher Doering • Jan. 19, 2023 -
Spencer Platt via Getty Images
Amid strike fears, cargo diversion a key fixture in 2022’s supply chain playbook
The shadow of negotiations clouds U.S. railroads and West Coast ports. Shippers have leaned on less-risky alternatives, despite some drawbacks.
Max Garland • Nov. 16, 2022 -
Courtesy of Medline
Holiday hangovers: Retailers seek to clear out inventory piles as the season ramps up
After declarations about “decisive” actions to clear excess goods earlier this year, levels are still high and markdowns rampant.
Ben Unglesbee • Nov. 8, 2022 -
Thomas Cain via Getty Images
ESG backlash unlikely to derail SEC proposal requiring climate risk disclosures
One expert said the agency has "vastly underestimated" the amount of money needed for businesses to comply.
Jim Tyson • Nov. 3, 2022 -
jasonbennee via Getty Images
How the US plans to transform its lithium supply chain
With just 3.6% of global reserves, access to the critical mineral is vital to the country’s sustainable energy plans.
Deborah Abrams Kaplan • Oct. 27, 2022 -
Jon Cherry/Getty Images via Getty Images
UPS and FedEx rate increases are coming. Here’s how shippers can prepare.
Experts note that shipping rates are negotiable, but how amenable the delivery giants will be to concessions is up for debate.
Max Garland • Oct. 26, 2022 -
Permission granted by Operation BBQ Relief
How the trucking industry is helping feed a million Floridians after Hurricane Ian
Operation BBQ Relief drew volunteer drivers from across the country to deliver much-needed food supplies in the storm’s aftermath.
Colin Campbell • Oct. 12, 2022 -
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images via Getty Images
Louis DeJoy is transforming the Postal Service. Can the agency compete with FedEx and UPS?
The U.S. Postmaster General isn’t afraid of making big changes. But keeping pace with private parcel carriers is a tall order for the beleaguered agency, experts say.
Max Garland • Sept. 28, 2022 -
Retrieved from Dot's Homestyle Pretzels.
How CPGs are using M&A to boost manufacturing amid supply disruptions
While dealmaking often focuses on food or beverage brands, more companies are buying plants to ramp up production, widen an offering’s reach and lessen dependence on outside manufacturers.
Christopher Doering • Sept. 20, 2022 -
Spencer Platt/Getty Images via Getty Images
How tensions between FedEx Ground and its contractors reached a boiling point
The logistics giant's model for independent delivery providers is broken, an analyst said. One contractor is leading a push for change.
Max Garland • Aug. 25, 2022 -
Photo Illustration: Getty Images; Industry Dive
‘We have to do something’: Can retail close the gap on supply chain emissions?
The industry is woefully behind on scope 3 targets for greenhouse gases. Data poses steep challenges, but experts say retailers still can — and must — do more.
Ben Unglesbee • Aug. 11, 2022 -
Christopher Doering/Supply Chain Dive
Small candy makers rethink operations as supply chain issues bite
Sweets manufacturers are doing away with long-time traditions to weather labor shortages, high costs and unreliable ingredient deliveries.
Christopher Doering • Aug. 4, 2022 -
Spencer Platt via Getty Images
Makers of COVID-19 tests shift focus as testing wanes
Startups that grew quickly from large contracts are looking nervously to a new future, as demand plummets for mass testing and shifts to homes.
Elise Reuter • July 27, 2022 -
Courtesy of Rocket 88 Books
Waiting for 'Lady Day': A Billie Holiday book's supply chain saga
On the planned release date, pre-ordered copies sat inside a container aboard the Evergreen ship stuck in the Chesapeake Bay. Their voyage offers a glimpse into today’s ocean freight challenges.
Colin Campbell • July 7, 2022 -
Natalie Behring via Getty Images
Sustainable packaging goals challenged by supply chain realities
As CPGs set targets to cut virgin plastic use, chaotic forces like the pandemic, poor weather and war complicate the timeline.
Samantha Oller • June 9, 2022 -
Ethan Miller/Getty Images via Getty Images
Carriers, shippers grapple with how to cut emissions in airfreight
The airfreight industry is rolling out environmentally-minded initiatives. Will it be enough for shippers to stick with the emissions-heavy mode?
Max Garland • May 18, 2022 -
Mario Tama via Getty Images
Furniture retailers forge new supply chain practices as backlogs, delays prevail
Improved inventory management is just one practice — executives are also looking at new sourcing destinations to mitigate risk.
Ben Unglesbee • April 25, 2022 -
Oli Scarff via Getty Images
Amazon is slowing down its fulfillment center spend. What's next?
Heightened demand put Amazon's distribution buildout into overdrive. To speed up delivery and limit costs, it will have to invest more.
Max Garland • March 16, 2022
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