How Ferrero uses data to monitor stock, reduce food waste

The confectionery giant is working with software company Alloy to improve the efficiency of its operations by cutting down on overstock and out of stock items.

By Lillianna Byington • Oct. 20, 2020

FedEx, Happy Returns partner on 'return bars,' streamline reverse logistics

Happy Returns has quadrupled its number of drop off locations with the addition of more than 2,000 FedEx Office locations.

By A.B. Brown • Oct. 20, 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

Nordstrom expands online order pickup to Rack stores

The retailer will offer fulfillment services at its off-price stores and hire 22,000 holiday staffers ahead of a season expected to be more online than ever.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Oct. 19, 2020

Biden and Trump envision similar supply chains — but different paths to get there

Both presidential candidates promote investment in domestic manufacturing and supply chains, but they diverge on how to handle global trade relations.

By Emma Cosgrove • Oct. 16, 2020

China's largest warehouse operator forms joint venture to build logistics infrastructure in Vietnam

Vietnam has become one of the countries that is often included in discussions as companies talk about sourcing from new suppliers outside of China.

By Matt Leonard • Oct. 16, 2020

NFI responds to logistics demand with plans to add 5,000 new hires

Carriers and 3PLs scramble to have consumer goods stocked as warehousing sets record employment levels.

By Jim Stinson • Oct. 15, 2020

Asos lays out 'flexible fulfillment' plan to bolster in-stock status

Varied levels of product flow and warehouse automation have created a different experience for Asos customers in the U.K. and the U.S. The new plan could change that. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Oct. 15, 2020

Fastenal raced to increase mask inventory. Now it has an 'oversupply.'

In just six months, the company has gone from restricting certain SKUs to healthcare customers only to concerns about excess inventory. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Oct. 14, 2020

Caps and pumps: Johnson & Johnson's packaging changes put it on the path to a circular supply chain

J&J's Healthy Lives Mission includes conversion to 100% recyclable, reusable or compostable plastic, and recycled paper and pulp-based materials by 2025.

By Deborah Abrams Kaplan • Oct. 13, 2020

Supply chain pros embrace AI for forecasting, inventory despite limitations during pandemic

Rigid systems that don’t respond to rapid market shifts and a lack of reliable data frustrated respondents in a survey from Secondmind.

By Matt Leonard • Oct. 13, 2020

Nestlé will support farmers to achieve net-zero carbon by 2050, supply chain chief says

The world's largest food company said it would commit up to $10 million through its multi-year partnership to help scale farm access to sustainable resources and technology.

By Lillianna Byington • Oct. 12, 2020

Microfulfillment centers are changing grocery e-commerce. But are they right for everyone?

Grocers face unique e-commerce challenges that make deciding whether to automate fulfillment operations a complex choice, experts say.

By Sam Silverstein • Oct. 12, 2020

Sam's Club adds 2,000 permanent supply chain workers, launches ship-from-store for peak

The company expects approximately one-fifth of online orders to ship from Sam's Club locations.

By Emma Cosgrove • Oct. 8, 2020

H&M plans to scale machine learning to bolster logistics, forecasting

The retailer is building a platform called Yggdrasil, which will give teams across the organization access to centralized data.

By Roberto Torres • Oct. 6, 2020

Warehouse employment is at an all-time high

The labor-intensive processes of picking, packing and shipping require supply chains to hire more workers as e-commerce sales reach record levels.

By Matt Leonard • Oct. 6, 2020

Organizational equity: The underutilized key to attracting supply chain talent

Supply chain professionals are under pressure to deliver, and recruiting and retaining standout talent can impact the bottom line, the author writes.

By Gina Govojdean • Oct. 6, 2020

Telematics firm Transflo buys Microdea as shippers demand digital documentation

The acquisition allows Transflo to process more data from shippers, carriers and 3PLs, which feeds into its artificial intelligence system.

By Jim Stinson • Oct. 6, 2020

Bed Bath & Beyond, Shipt partner on same-day delivery ahead of peak

The retailer will use third-party delivery services Shipt and Instacart to grow its omnichannel presence and delivery options.

By A.B. Brown • Oct. 5, 2020

Adidas coaches its suppliers in the sustainability marathon

The sportswear brand applies the 80/20 rule to reducing emissions with a focus on strategic tier 1 and 2 suppliers, and a recognition that not every tactic works for every vendor.

By Emma Cosgrove • Oct. 5, 2020

Automation firm Ocado faces lawsuit from AutoStore over fulfillment center robotics

The U.K.-based company, which is building fulfillment centers for Kroger, is accused of infringing on patents for systems used to pick and pack groceries.

By Sam Silverstein • Oct. 5, 2020

Conagra: Demand exceeds supply as grocers stock up early for holidays

Grocers aren't taking chances with stockouts, altering the usual cadence of shipments through the end of the year for their suppliers.

By Emma Cosgrove • Oct. 2, 2020

Supplier deliveries slow, raw material costs rise as manufacturing improves: ISM

The report shows the industry has learned how to keep supply chains moving during the pandemic, while underscoring the challenges that remain in this new normal.

By Matt Leonard • Oct. 2, 2020

Meet the suppliers in Walmart's virtual open call

Submissions to participate in the annual event grew 44% over last year.

By Gary Wollenhaupt • Oct. 1, 2020

Record 2.7M industrial robots are in operation, but demand has slowed: report

While industrial robots shipped fell in 2019, collaborative robots maintained 11% growth, which IFR attributes to their broad range of applications.

By A.B. Brown • Sept. 30, 2020

Campbell says ERP modernization is key to absorbing $5B acquisition

With the database swap, the company is taking an incremental approach to a systems upgrade as it seeks real-time analytics to better understand consumer pattern changes.

By Roberto Torres • Sept. 29, 2020