Retail supply chains were made to be broken. Will brands adapt — or revert?

The past two years have laid bare vulnerabilities that have long existed in the system, including a lack of capacity and geographic concentration in manufacturing.

By Ben Unglesbee • Feb. 11, 2022

Shippers plan for disruptions from Lunar New Year: survey

A majority of companies ordered early as the holiday is expected to lengthen transit times and raise freight costs, according to Container xChange.

By Alejandra Carranza • Jan. 31, 2022

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Top 5 stories from Supply Chain Dive

Here’s how companies are navigating rising costs, network changes and logistics disruptions across global supply chain networks.

By Supply Chain Dive staff

California drought dried up avocado supply in 2021: supplier

Some companies imported more due to low harvests. But port congestion and shipping delays presented new challenges — including product spoilage.

By Sarah Zimmerman • Jan. 20, 2022

FedEx taps 3 charter vessels to start congestion bypass service

The ships are loaded with 53-foot containers carrying goods from shippers looking to avoid bottlenecks at San Pedro Bay ports.

By Max Garland • Jan. 19, 2022

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.

By Edwin Lopez • Jan. 12, 2022

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. 

By Sarah Zimmerman • Jan. 5, 2022

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.

By Colin Campbell • Jan. 5, 2022

Diversifying production, suppliers helped companies stock shelves in 2021

As facility shutdowns and other disruptions caused shortages, many firms found new manufacturing and sourcing partners.

By Colin Campbell • Dec. 23, 2021

Chartered ships emerged in 2021 as a way to get around congestion

Home Depot, Costco and Walmart were among the businesses which leased ships to take control of their supply chains.

By Alejandra Carranza • Dec. 23, 2021

Maersk to acquire Li & Fung's logistics unit for $3.6B

The deal will grow Maersk's global warehouse footprint to more than 100 million square feet.

By Edwin Lopez • Dec. 22, 2021

Maersk to manage Unilever's ocean and air transport via control tower

The goal of the partnership is three-fold: to improve visibility across Unilever's supply chain, to boost efficiency and to cut down on emissions.

By Shefali Kapadia • Dec. 16, 2021

How regulators stepped up to address congested ports and supply chains in 2021

Long lines of waiting ships and stacks of containers at West Coast ports drew attention from the White House.

By Shefali Kapadia • Dec. 16, 2021

10 disruptions that rocked supply chains in 2021

Companies scrambled to adjust operations as they contended with a protracted pandemic, severe weather and the trapped Ever Given in another difficult year for supply chains.

By Sarah Zimmerman • Dec. 15, 2021

Historic lows in ocean carrier reliability leave shippers looking for alternatives

Space for LCL shipments is more often readily available, but shippers still have to battle port congestion. 

By Alejandra Carranza • Dec. 8, 2021

FedEx will sell space on empty container imports as a congestion-bypass service

Shippers can cut 20 days' worth of transit time port-to-port, FedEx Logistics CEO Udo Lange said.

By Max Garland • Dec. 6, 2021

Allbirds boosts inventories by 55% due to long lead times, high demand

The shoe and apparel company has relied on careful planning, secondary sourcing and regional diversification to keep product flowing.

By Colin Campbell • Dec. 2, 2021

The problem with chartering a ship: Break bulk is a lost art

Break bulk is doable for large, well-capitalized companies, but there's no guarantee they'll achieve lower freight costs than using carriers, a Xeneta executive writes. 

By Katherine Barrios • Dec. 1, 2021

Walmart sees 51% increase in throughput at Southern California ports after Biden's shift to 24/7

Retailers brought a holiday wish list of additional supply chain actions to a White House meeting.

By Colin Campbell • Nov. 30, 2021

Fresh fruit and vegetable supply threatened by rising disruptions

Producers are confronting higher costs, fertilizer shortages and inconsistent deliveries. In some cases, it's leading to food spoilage.

By Sarah Zimmerman • Nov. 18, 2021

Empty containers become a focal point in push to ease Los Angeles port congestion

The port is encouraging shipping lines and marine terminal operators to receive as many empties as possible to make space for loaded cargo. 

By Edwin Lopez • Nov. 17, 2021

New guidelines limit the number of ships crowding San Pedro Bay ports

"No, this is not going to speed things up on shore," said Kip Louttit, executive director of the Marine Exchange of Southern California.

By Edwin Lopez • Nov. 12, 2021

'It's already paying off': Biden boasts about 24/7 port operations

The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, whose maritime traffic jams have become emblematic of snarled supply chains, have already seen reduced vessel dwell times, the president said.

By Colin Campbell • Nov. 11, 2021

Port delays across the US double in-transit inventory times for Columbia Sportswear

The brand is encountering the bulk of its logistics issues in the U.S., as deliveries in Canada and Europe "have been much more timely," CEO Tim Boyle said.

By Max Garland • Nov. 8, 2021

Schneider grows container fleet with the help of a chartered ship

The carrier added 1,600 intermodal containers in Q3 and expects to add at least another 1,600 in Q4, the CEO said.

By S.L. Fuller • Nov. 5, 2021

Mattel nearshores manufacturing to bypass port bottlenecks during peak

For imported products, the toymaker locked in ocean freight capacity and rates well in advance of the holiday season.

By Sarah Zimmerman • Nov. 4, 2021