With stores closed, retailers supercharged omnichannel adoption

Curbside pickup and ship-from-store capabilities have become essential skills in the time of the coronavirus, leading retailers to launch new services at record pace.

By Emma Cosgrove • June 30, 2020

Consumer demand: The big supply chain question mark

Statistical models work best when making predictions in a consistent environment. The coronavirus pandemic is a sharp turn off the consistent course of demand for many products. 

By Matt Leonard • June 30, 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

McCormick will run 24-hour operations after pandemic-driven home cooking depletes inventories

Manufacturing capacity became "a pressure point," said McCormick's CEO, as demand surged and sales grew 26% year-over-year in the consumer segment. 

By Emma Cosgrove • June 30, 2020

Tracking US manufacturers' shift to PPE during the coronavirus pandemic

General Motors gets out of the ventilator game, and 3M adds two new N95 respirator production lines.

By Nami Sumida • Updated Nov. 30, 2020

Amazon partners with nonprofit to upskill fulfillment associates for tech jobs

An analysis by the National Skills Coalition found that American workers in essential industries will require upskilling to meet the needs of digital disruption.

By Sheryl Estrada • June 26, 2020

Gartner: 55% of supply chains expect to be resilient in 2-3 years

Building supply chain redundancies used to be seen as an unaffordable precaution. Now, they're becoming part of critical risk management strategies.

By Morgan Forde • June 26, 2020

Nike increases digital fulfillment capacity 3x due to pandemic

The retailer adjusted its inventory buying plans, canceled roughly 30% of pre-pandemic factory purchase orders and is highlighting its investment in demand sensing technology.

By Matt Leonard • June 26, 2020

DHL, Blue Yonder, Microsoft partner on warehouse robotics platform to speed deployment

The platform will allow customers to standardize onboarding and operations management for various types of warehouse robotics and helped to cut down integration time by 60% in a pilot.

By Morgan Forde • June 25, 2020

Boeing asks supplier to cut back production citing pandemic, high inventory

Spirit AeroSystems delivered 606 shipsets to Boeing in 2019. In 2020, it will deliver 72.

By Matt Leonard • June 25, 2020

Tyson Foods to shutter South Carolina plant, lay off 150 workers

The meat giant said the closure, slated for August, is not related to the pandemic and is part of ongoing efforts to increase efficiencies.

By Lillianna Byington • June 25, 2020

La-Z-Boy closes factories, won't return to full manufacturing capacity for months

With half of La-Z-Boy products made to order, the retailer's normal cadence is off as its stores reopen after closing due to the pandemic, leading to a slow return to business as usual for production.

By Emma Cosgrove • June 25, 2020

Ford plans to go carbon neutral by 2050

Stakeholder engagement work has included surveying 83% of its supplier base (78% of which responded) to better understand scope 3 emissions and water usage, and sharing best practices with suppliers.

By Morgan Forde • June 24, 2020

Sales plummeted 14% in April leaving companies with bulging inventories

The inventory-to-sales ratio paints a clear picture of the pandemic and the economic turmoil it has created across retail and manufacturing, leaving product to languish in stockrooms, destined for markdowns or donations.

By Matt Leonard • June 23, 2020

How to prep reverse logistics for an upcoming 'flood of returns'

Technology and warehouse worker safety are critical as state reopenings could prompt an uptick in retail returns.

By Jen A. Miller • June 23, 2020

Shippers should embed carrier financial health into resilience plans as pandemic upends logistics

As supply chain leaders shift their focus to increasing resilience, they will need to consider multi-modal, multi-carrier logistics plans, according to CSCMP's State of Logistics Report.

By Matt Leonard • June 23, 2020

Coronavirus and counterfeits: How supply chain leaders can protect their products and brands

It's dangerous to assume only healthcare products are impacted by counterfeiting during the pandemic, writes Andrew Stevens, a senior director analyst in Gartner's supply chain practice.

By Andrew Stevens • June 22, 2020

Gartner: Three-quarters of enterprises will 'operationalize' AI by 2024

COVID-19 drove the need for accurate, speedy insights into the inner workings of all businesses.

By Roberto Torres • June 22, 2020

Kroger's omnichannel investments pay off in Q1

The grocer credited tech investments for its ability to handle demand for delivery and pickup services.

By Jeff Wells • June 19, 2020

Designer Brands to trim vendor list to prep for post-pandemic landscape

Simplification is a watchword of supply chains post-lockdown, according to business executives across sectors.

By Emma Cosgrove • June 19, 2020

Prologis: Demand for warehouse space will rise alongside e-commerce growth

E-commerce requires three times the logistics space of traditional storefronts, so companies are expected to begin investing to keep up with pandemic-driven demand.

By Matt Leonard • June 18, 2020

'Shake up that carrier mix': Shippers need flexibility in logistics, fulfillment for peak-season prep

The pandemic introduced atypical market conditions and led some carriers to cap volume from retailers. 

By S.L. Fuller • June 17, 2020

Unilever to request suppliers' emissions data on invoices

The supplier accountability effort seeks to advance Unilever' sustainability goals, such as reaching net-zero emissions from products by 2039 and ridding its supply chain of deforestation by 2023.

By Emma Cosgrove • June 17, 2020

More automation means more reusable packaging: survey

Highly automated fulfillment environments rely on standardized, reusable packaging, but it's not a one-size-fits-all solution. 

By Matt Leonard • June 16, 2020

Lamb Weston furloughs 660, closes 2 plants as fry demand falls

The bullwhip effect is alive and well in the food industry — and french fry supply chains are feeling the sting from closed restaurants.

By Emma Cosgrove • June 16, 2020

Developing the coronavirus vaccine supply chain

Pharmas, nonprofit organizations and suppliers prepare to handle a high volume of vaccines, but component shortages and scaling up manufacturing present challenges.

By Deborah Abrams Kaplan • June 16, 2020