Big Lots plans 'bypass network' to mitigate port congestion during peak season

As an example, the retailer said 98% of its Christmas trees ship out of Yantian and now have 4-8 week lead times. A bypass network will help imports skip a touch, and arrive in time for holiday shopping.

By Edwin Lopez • Sept. 17, 2021

Lowe's places larger orders with suppliers to avoid holiday stockouts

The hardware retailer says inventory levels are "actually getting better, not worse," as other companies struggle to navigate supply chain disruptions. 

By Sarah Zimmerman • Sept. 16, 2021

Explore the Trendline➔

Inventory Management

Read how retailers and brand manufactures are rethinking inventory management.

By Supply Chain Dive staff

Amazon pushes average hourly pay above $18 to lure 125K new fulfillment, transportation employees

Amid a labor shortage and the upcoming peak season, Amazon pushes to hire 125,000 fulfillment and transportation employees. 

By Daphne Howland • Sept. 15, 2021

Inventory levels jump as manufacturers hold onto work-in-progress products

Manufacturers of transportation equipment, computers and electronics need chips, which are in short supply, and some products are being held until critical components arrive.

By Max Garland • Sept. 14, 2021

Vaccine mandate adds another wrinkle to warehouse, distribution hiring crunch

The mandate's "aim is good, but there will likely be short-term pain for long-term gain," said Raj Patel, senior director of 3PL global industry strategy at Blue Yonder, in an email.

By Max Garland • Sept. 14, 2021

Shutdowns in Asia sting Toyota, automakers and exacerbate chip shortage

Toyota will temporarily close nine plants this month, including those responsible for the Corolla and Camry sedans, according to an SEC filing.

By Sarah Zimmerman • Sept. 14, 2021

Kellogg investing $45M to revamp North American supply chain

The cereal giant is shifting production to more efficient facilities as it looks to combat capacity constraints.

By Chris Casey • Sept. 14, 2021

Biden to require large employers mandate vaccines

The ruling will especially impact warehouse workers, as many large companies had avoided requiring vaccines for frontline staff amid an acute labor shortage.

By Ryan Golden • Sept. 10, 2021

Chewy plans 3 automated fulfillment centers to ease supply chain challenges

More automated facilities will reduce Chewy's exposure to employee shortages, which can slow fulfillment times.

By Max Garland • Sept. 9, 2021

Supply chain managers ramp up hiring, raise wages ahead of peak

A survey found nearly half of supply chain managers plan to increase pay as companies continue to report lost sales and productivity due to labor shortages.

By Max Garland • Sept. 7, 2021

RFID and sensor tech get cheaper, faster and more pervasive

Advancements in identification technology help retail supply chains track inventory and shrink. Are visioning robots the next evolution?

By Jen A. Miller • Sept. 7, 2021

Target's CIO retires after years of facilitating supply chain innovation

McNamara encouraged in-house innovation that enabled automation along the supply chain. A new CIO at Target needs to focus on three key pillars.

By Roberto Torres • Sept. 2, 2021

Industrial buyers face a resin market with tight supplies, spiking prices

Demand for resins is far outstripping supplies, leaving manufacturers of plastic parts scrambling.

By Meena Thiruvengadam • Sept. 2, 2021

Burlington's sourcing costs are up 78% over 2 years due to pandemic supply chain disruptions

Company executives laid out three reasons why supply chain costs are leading to high prices — and why they think price hikes won't last.

By Edwin Lopez • Sept. 1, 2021

JD.com ramps up omnichannel approach as it looks beyond e-commerce

The Chinese e-commerce giant is sharing some of its gross profit with merchants involved in its omnichannel fulfillment program, "but at the same time, it helps us save the fulfillment costs," CFO Sandy Xu said.

By Max Garland • Aug. 31, 2021

What 3G's sunset means for tracking, visibility tech

Companies relying on IoT devices for their supply chains have a relatively tight window to upgrade to 4G.

By Deborah Abrams Kaplan • Aug. 31, 2021

5 years of supply chain disruptions and the lessons learned

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

By Edwin Lopez • Updated Dec. 31, 2021

Patent Pending: Amazon imagines dynamic parcel sorting, Walmart's idea for route planning

Supply chain innovators apply to patent what they see as important tools for the future. Sometimes they're brilliant. Sometimes they're funny.

By Matt Leonard • Aug. 27, 2021

Suppliers push price hikes through the chain in an inflationary environment

Passing costs on to the next buyer in the supply chain is the primary goal for manufacturers, but that isn't always possible.

By Matt Leonard • Aug. 26, 2021

What retail executives are saying about widespread supply chain bottlenecks

From air shipping to ship charters to price increases, industry players are managing chaos at ports and throughout the global production network every way they can.

By Ben Unglesbee • Aug. 26, 2021

How a recent acquisition changed Maersk's US warehouse network

Visible Supply Chain Management's locations in parts of the country like Georgia, Utah and Memphis will help Maersk build up its e-commerce fulfillment network and scale up two-day shipping.

By Matt Leonard • Aug. 24, 2021

Supply chains adopt, invest millions in inventory optimization tech

Flexibility and human override must also be part of inventory and network optimization, as automating everything without oversight can leave companies in a lurch.

By Jen A. Miller • Aug. 24, 2021

Home Depot improves inventory depth with focus on high-velocity SKUs

Some companies are chartering ships to secure inventory. Others are shifting SKU priorities. Home Depot is doing both.

By Max Garland • Aug. 24, 2021

Walmart to sell delivery capabilities as a new line of business

The Bentonville, Arkansas, retailer is inching more towards becoming a service provider, not only to consumers but to fellow merchants as well.

By Maria Monteros • Aug. 24, 2021

PepsiCo aims to replenish more water than it consumes by 2030

The company said stringent water-use-efficiency standards would cover more than 1,000 global facilities, saving over 11 billion liters annually.

By Christopher Doering • Aug. 23, 2021