Supplier of the year: 3M

The supplier is making more N95 respirators than ever before. Pre-pandemic surge capacity and a focus on real-time visibility enabled the quick shift.

By Shefali Kapadia • Dec. 9, 2020

Company of the Year: Target

Target's digital sales increased 141% in Q1 and 195% in Q2. And as online orders grew, so did the share fulfilled from stores.

By Emma Cosgrove • Dec. 9, 2020

Explore the Trendline➔

Inventory Management

Read how retailers and brand manufactures are rethinking inventory management.

By Supply Chain Dive staff

The Supply Chain Dive Awards for 2020

From Target to 3M, these are the companies and executives that shaped supply chains during this unprecedented year.

By Supply Chain Dive Team • Dec. 9, 2020

CBRE: Holiday sales expected to generate $70.5B in returns

The capacity constraints 3PLs are facing during peak season have been widely reported, but expanded networks are expected to benefit retailers when it comes time to process returns through warehouse networks.

By Matt Leonard • Dec. 8, 2020

Why smart factories are the future of supply chain resilience

Smart factories are coming into focus as businesses put more resources behind productivity and efficiency, the author writes.

By Adam Mussomeli • Dec. 8, 2020

FedEx will partner with McKesson on vaccine distribution, expand cold storage locations by 28% in 2021

Vice President Mike Pence said Thursday the federal government believes it is days away from beginning to distribute "tens of millions" of vaccine doses.

By Matt Leonard • Dec. 4, 2020

LaserShip ups automation in NYC region as national carriers refuse pickups

The role of regional carriers in the e-commerce landscape has grown in 2020 as national carriers are stretched to their limits and institute surcharges to compensate.

By Emma Cosgrove • Dec. 4, 2020

A tale of hand sanitizer: How the ethanol supply chain pivoted for COVID-19

Raw material inputs for hand sanitizer were plentiful. But manufacturing capabilities, government regulations, packaging and tankers are a different story.

By Deborah Abrams Kaplan • Dec. 3, 2020

Nestlé to convert operations to 100% renewable energy in $3.6B emissions-reduction plan

As part of the plan, the company will work with its farmers and suppliers on regenerative agriculture practices.

By Christopher Doering • Dec. 3, 2020

Bed Bath & Beyond works to catch up to decades of supply chain modernization in 3 years

Starting with what one analyst called a "primitive" supply chain, the retailer has nowhere to go but up. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Dec. 2, 2020

Eli Lilly adopts automation to process COVID-19 tests in line with pharma industry trend toward robotics

A manual lab-based operation at Eli Lilly was accustomed to 50 samples daily. By mid-March, that number had reached 15,000.

By Matt Leonard • Dec. 1, 2020

Micro-fulfillment: Where it works for supply chains — and where it doesn't

The model offers close access to consumers, but executing it can be a challenge, especially without technology to track and manage decentralized inventory.

By Jen A. Miller • Dec. 1, 2020

Walmart to lay off more than 1,200 in omnichannel reorganization

The retailer announced in a July internal memo that layoffs were imminent. Executives said new positions in the supply chain would open as a result of an ongoing attempt to blend store and e-commerce operations.

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 30, 2020

FAA: First flight for coronavirus vaccine distribution takes off

Airports and logistics providers are assessing infrastructure and conducting tests to prepare for the mass shipment of vaccines.

By Matt Leonard • Nov. 30, 2020

Best Buy tests limited SKUs on store floor to make space for fulfillment

The retailer will add 90 ship-from-store hubs during the holiday season, supplementing the 250 ship-from-store locations it piloted in September.

By Shefali Kapadia • Nov. 25, 2020

Burlington supply chain costs soar as off-price retailers struggle to get product into stores

Since non-essential retail reopened across the U.S. in May, off-price retailers like Burlington, TJX and Ross have struggled to get the right product in the right place — hitting the profitability of this previously bulletproof retail class. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 25, 2020

Bark adds distribution center for BarkBox fulfillment capacity

Fulfilling BarkBox subscription boxes requires a facility that can handle packing multiple SKUs into one box before sealing and stacking them on pallets.

By Matt Leonard • Nov. 24, 2020

Kroger will use Ocado technology to boost pickup fulfillment

The grocer will collaborate with the tech firm to make picking and order assembly more efficient amid soaring demand for the service.

By Sam Silverstein , Jeff Wells • Nov. 24, 2020

As food banks gear up for the holiday season, warehouse throughput is key

Volume and demand surged throughout the pandemic, pushing many food banks beyond their processing and packaging limits. 

By Craig Guillot • Nov. 24, 2020

Diageo pledges 100% recyclable packaging, 50% supply chain emissions reduction by 2030

After falling short on some 2020 goals, the maker of Guinness and Smirnoff laid out plans to reduce emissions and improve packaging recyclability through 2030.

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 24, 2020

Planting the seeds of a cannabis supply chain

"We run a compliance business and sell cannabis on the side," joked one cannabis industry expert. Building supply starts with understanding regulations.

By Matt Leonard • Nov. 24, 2020

To distribute the COVID-19 vaccine, allocation models need a redesign

Before the pandemic, fair-share allocation helped safeguard against any well-intentioned providers overstocking. But the models that once proved effective needed to evolve, the author writes.

By Heather Zenk • Nov. 19, 2020

La-Z-Boy manufacturing comeback stunted by raw materials shortage

An essential chemical component in the foam used to make upholstered furniture was in very low supply, which affected the entire furniture industry and led to stockouts.

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 19, 2020

Ahold Delhaize strengthens omnichannel presence with majority stake in FreshDirect

The partnership with a deep-pocketed company like Ahold Delhaize also could strengthen FreshDirect's ability to compete against well-funded rivals like Instacart and Uber.

By Sam Silverstein • Nov. 18, 2020

Target builds replenishment, fulfillment capacity as digital sales grow 155%

For peak season, the retailer is cross-training at least 50% of in-store team members to support fulfillment work.

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 18, 2020