Patent Pending: Walmart's plan for trailer prioritization at loading docks

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. 28, 2020

Ware2Go, Google partner on 'free and fast' e-commerce shipping

Based on an e-commerce customer's ZIP code, their proximity to nodes in Ware2Go's fulfillment network and real-time inventory availability, Google will automatically display whether an item is available for free one- or two-day shipping.

By Morgan Forde • Aug. 28, 2020

Explore the Trendline➔

Inventory Management

Read how retailers and brand manufactures are rethinking inventory management as an effective strategy against tariffs.

By Supply Chain Dive staff

Ulta to evaluate store fleet with omnichannel operations in mind

The retailer is expanding its ship-from-store program to 100 stores to increase fulfillment capacity and speed while "leveraging store labor and inventory," executives said.

By Emma Cosgrove • Aug. 28, 2020

Walmart: More than 2K suppliers are participating in Project Gigaton

A reduction in supply chain emissions is particularly important to meeting sustainability goals, because Scope 3 makes up nearly 89% of Walmart's total emissions.

By Matt Leonard • Aug. 27, 2020

Less stringent cold chain requirements could give Moderna's coronavirus vaccine an edge

A rival shot from Pfizer and BioNTech needs to be stored at colder temperatures and doesn't last as long in a refrigerator, which may limit its use.

By Jonathan Gardner • Aug. 26, 2020

AstraZeneca taps contract manufacturer to scale vaccine production

The agreement is part of AstraZeneca's efforts to aggressively pursue manufacturing and supply partnerships across the globe ahead of the vaccine's potential launch.

By Kristin Jensen • Aug. 26, 2020

Hormel struggles to rebuild inventory after pandemic production pauses

A vertically integrated supply chain, usually a cost-savings driver, meant disruption to production of certain brands within the company was more keenly felt in the supply chain.

By Emma Cosgrove • Aug. 26, 2020

Warehousing, manufacturing employment below pre-pandemic levels as peak nears

Employment in manufacturing dipped 10% year over year in April and 5% in warehousing during the same period.

By Matt Leonard • Aug. 25, 2020

How Sephora flexed its warehouse network to prep for an e-commerce onslaught

The beauty retailer's annual spring promotion led SVP for Supply Chain Mike Racer to elevate throughput as a measure of readiness years before the coronavirus pandemic hit. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Aug. 25, 2020

Kind will exclusively source almonds from bee-friendly farms by 2025

The brand is asking its suppliers to reserve 3% to 5% of their farms for pollinator habitat in hopes of curbing the high levels of honey bees that die each year.

By Lillianna Byington • Aug. 25, 2020

What behavioral psychologists know that you should too

Making an effort to show employees how truly valuable they are is critical to your company's success.

Aug. 25, 2020

DHL to hire 7K associates, increase automation in prep for peak

The carrier expects this to be one of the "most unpredictable fourth quarter ever" as the pandemic increases uncertainty for many of its customers. 

By Matt Leonard • Aug. 24, 2020

Stocked out: Why cleaning product supply chains struggle to meet demand

The disinfectant and cleaning product supply chain relies on a just-in-time approach, making it difficult to radically move the output meter in a short timeframe.

By Deborah Abrams Kaplan • Aug. 20, 2020

Split shipments hit Kohl's profitability in Q2

Store closures locked inventory in locations optimized for pre-pandemic store demand and not e-commerce, which grew 60% year over year in the quarter. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Aug. 20, 2020

What's at stake for supply chains if postal service slows down?

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy says his intention is not to slow down the mail. But postal workers, shippers and small parcel experts contend that's exactly what his policies will do.

By Emma Cosgrove • Aug. 19, 2020

Target cuts digital fulfillment cost per order 30% as same-day demand skyrockets

The growth and maturation of same-day services, along with updates to the e-commerce order fulfillment process, led to increased efficiency, according to COO John Mulligan.

By Emma Cosgrove • Aug. 19, 2020

Reopening draws down inventory, but volatility expected for remainder of year

The total business inventories-to-sales ratio echoes trends seen throughout the pandemic: Apparel retailers are struggling to bring customers in while grocers are having a difficult time staying stocked.

By Matt Leonard • Aug. 18, 2020

The strategy behind turning department stores into warehouses

Rumors are circulating about Amazon converting vacant department store space into fulfillment centers — a move experts say would round out its omnichannel approach.

By Jen A. Miller • Aug. 18, 2020

Stockouts hold Walmart back as e-commerce booms

CEO Doug McMillon said consumers briefly returned to the stock-up behaviors they displayed early in the pandemic, as COVID-19 cases spiked in pockets of the country.

By Emma Cosgrove • Aug. 18, 2020

Production planning use case: Reducing order-to-delivery date by 7 days

Order-to-delivery time reduced by seven days through made-to-order balancing.

Aug. 18, 2020

JD Logistics opens automated warehouse for bulky items, launches 1-hour delivery

Roughly one year after JD Logistics broke even, executives reported record sales volumes have improved efficiency and the service is now turning a profit. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Aug. 17, 2020

Analyst: Target's investments in store-centric fulfillment pay off

Retailers that invested in omnichannel strategies and inventory visibility were in the best position to quickly pivot to curbside pickup, ship from store and other methods to capture sales with stores closed, according to D.A Davidson.

By Shefali Kapadia • Aug. 17, 2020

How can managers make their supply chains more agile? 4 experts weigh in.

The ability to remain nimble and react to unforeseen changes across the value chain has proven more beneficial than scenario planning or forecasting for many businesses.

By Shefali Kapadia • Aug. 13, 2020

DHL rolls out AI-based pick routing tool that integrates with WMS, ERP

In its first deployments, the software has reduced the distance traveled by warehouse employees up to 50% and increased productivity up to 30%. 

By Matt Leonard • Aug. 13, 2020

3 technologies FedEx's CIO geeks out on

One challenge of leading enterprise technology for an organization the size of FedEx is the shift away from legacy technology, CIO Rob Carter said.

By Roberto Torres • Aug. 13, 2020