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

Explore the Trendline➔

Retail Supply Chains

Retailers are making operational investments and adjustments to maintain supply chain resilience. Here’s how.

By Supply Chain Dive staff

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

IDC: Pharmaceutical industry ups inventory levels as OTIF rates fall

Before the pandemic, the on time and in full rate from suppliers was generally above 80%. Now, pharmaceutical companies are looking for ways to avoid shortages.

By Matt Leonard • Nov. 17, 2020

Ship from store makes sense in a pandemic. Does it make sense long term?

Making the fulfillment method work requires physical changes and a view of inventory down to the SKU level. 

By Jen A. Miller • Nov. 17, 2020

Walmart execs say stockouts track with COVID-19 hot spots

The difference between areas with rapidly increasing cases and those with a slower rise is visible within Walmart's store network, CEO Doug McMillon said.

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 17, 2020

How 6 chains expanded grocery pickup during the pandemic

Some, including Walmart, have taken advantage of a large click-and-collect footprint. And some, such as Target, ramped up grocery pickup after demand soared.  

By Jeff Wells • Nov. 16, 2020

Moderna's coronavirus vaccine presents fewer cold chain hurdles than Pfizer

The company's COVID-19 vaccine is expected to stay stable at 2-8 degrees Celsius, the temperature of a standard refrigerator, for up to 30 days and will be distributed through McKesson. 

By Matt Leonard • Nov. 16, 2020

Walmart adds 'pop-up' direct-to-consumer fulfillment capacity at 42 distribution centers

The model provides flexibility to the retailer's fulfillment capabilities, allowing it to increase capacity when it's experiencing peak-level volume and scale down when demand dissipates.

By Matt Leonard • Nov. 13, 2020

How COVID-19 amplified the importance of the cold chain

Months of demand tested the cold chain, from keeping food supply chains flowing to developing distribution strategies for a coronavirus vaccine.

By A.B. Brown • Nov. 13, 2020

Schneider Electric invests $40M in supply chain upgrades to prepare for post-pandemic demand

Schneider is introducing new capabilities and production lines that will allow it to work with fewer suppliers by finishing some of its own inputs — with added capacity to construct some components entirely in-house when necessary.

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 12, 2020

Ahold Delhaize tackles a $480M supply chain overhaul during a pandemic — and Thanksgiving

The grocery group is forging ahead with an insourcing transformation amid a busy time in a tumultuous year. What could go wrong?

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 12, 2020

PepsiCo pilots micro-fulfillment tech for e-commerce orders

The pilot facility outside Chicago will expedite the picking process while requiring less floor space than traditional picking, according to PepsiCo.

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 11, 2020

What we know about Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine distribution plan

The pharmaceutical company plans to ship vials directly from manufacturing plant to point of vaccination in a supply chain model it described as flexible and just in time.

By Matt Leonard • Nov. 11, 2020

Beyond Meat acquires co-packer to tackle unit costs

The $14.5 million deal will provide the company opportunities to test new processes and more quickly scale up products, CEO Ethan Brown said.

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 11, 2020

Take a dynamic approach to supply chain, US government.

Federal lawmakers proposed a task force to fund a more "resilient" supply chain. But resiliency is not the answer for the future, the author writes.

By Nader Mikhail • Nov. 10, 2020

Inventory roller coaster expected to trend upward after August lows

Retail inventories have been on a wild ride through the course of the pandemic. They bulged when retailers shut their doors, fell when sales were higher than expected, and early signs show they're successfully rebuilding.

By Matt Leonard • Nov. 10, 2020