Eager to innovate in pickup, retailers look to lockers and kiosks

As retailers look to storage units to enhance omichannel and delivery service, they must grapple with limitations that could impede adoption.

By Sam Silverstein • Jan. 26, 2021

The pandemic put supply chains front and center for retailers — perhaps for the first time

Retail supply chains came under intense strain and went through wild convolutions last year. To weather the next storm, the industry must be agile and take risk seriously.

By Ben Unglesbee • Jan. 25, 2021

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

Gig economy emerges as key part of the parcel ecosystem

During the pandemic, Instacart, Postmates, Roadie, Shipt and others have moved into new roles, in many cases integrating into retailers' parcel portfolios as an alternative to traditional carriers.

By Emma Cosgrove • Jan. 25, 2021

Meijer seeks out local Midwestern suppliers for summit event

The "Lift Local Supplier Event" will invite businesses to pitch their products virtually on April 1 and follows a successful Supplier Diversity Summit in November.

By Rosie Bradbury • Jan. 21, 2021

4 elements of the next phase of last-mile delivery

The technologies to move retail delivery forward already exist. The next step is fully weaving last-mile services into the retail landscape.

By Emma Cosgrove • Jan. 20, 2021

How supply chains adjusted demand forecasts during the pandemic

Demand planners started to bring in data from Google Trends and Amazon marketplaces to better understand unpredictable consumer buying habits.

By Matt Leonard • Jan. 19, 2021

How Dick's and Wayfair connect consumers with real-time inventory data

The pandemic upped the stakes for data accuracy, as well as the velocity and volume at which it needed to flow.

By Emma Cosgrove • Jan. 19, 2021

Walmart e-commerce chief Marc Lore to retire

As Lore leaves the company, Walmart has established itself as a much stronger omnichannel retailer than before he joined.

By Ben Unglesbee • Jan. 15, 2021

UPS, Verizon, Skyward partner on 5G drone delivery in Florida

Many details on the partnership have yet to be disclosed, but the companies say 5G will be important to scaling delivery fleets.

By Matt Leonard • Jan. 13, 2021

Walmart to test refrigerated boxes that store grocery deliveries outside homes

The secure, internet-connected units can hold items at various temperatures and use ultraviolet light to kill viruses, mold and mildew.

By Sam Silverstein • Jan. 13, 2021

CH Robinson, SAS bet real-time demand data can shorten freight bid windows

Demand doesn't change at the pace of an annual contract. The two companies will use their existing tools to drive more agile freight procurement.

By Matt Leonard • Jan. 12, 2021

Bed Bath & Beyond's COO says the company is pivoting to a 'common-sense' supply chain model

The retailer's network of 30 cross docks will drastically reduce in number soon, making way for distribution centers, run by one or more third parties, COO John Hartmann said.

By Emma Cosgrove • Jan. 8, 2021

UPS expects to break weekly returns record with nearly 9M returns

As e-commerce took a larger share of overall commerce in 2020, returns increased and diffused out over the holiday shopping period.

By Emma Cosgrove • Jan. 6, 2021

Nordstrom brings supply chain talent into the C-suite

The retailer's digital sales increased to 54% in 2020, highlighting the importance of supply chain and omnichannel in serving customers, according to a Nordstrom executive.

By A.B. Brown • Dec. 22, 2020

Retailers did not achieve 1-day delivery in 2020: study

Companies took about three days to fulfill orders, while brick-and-mortar locations leveraged BOPIS and curbside pickup services.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Dec. 17, 2020

Container movement lags at Port of Los Angeles as unseasonably high imports arrive

Dozens of container ships are idling off the Southern California coast, a sign of "the sheer amount of traffic" at the Port of Los Angeles, said Executive Director Gene Seroka.

By Matt Leonard • Dec. 16, 2020

Walmart to take middle-mile trucks driverless in Arkansas

Since the retailer began its self-driving pilot with Gatik last year, the trucks have traveled more than 70,000 operational miles in autonomous mode.

By Rosie Bradbury • Dec. 16, 2020

Sam's Club equips its fulfillment operations with robotic pickers

The retailer has adopted the use of GreyOrange autonomous mobile robots in its new Southern California fulfillment center for e-commerce orders.

By Gary Wollenhaupt • Dec. 15, 2020

Peak season fulfillment fuels BOPIS growth at Walmart, Target

In a rare vulnerability for Amazon, research is piling up that customers want omnichannel services for shopping and returns.

By Daphne Howland • Dec. 14, 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

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

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

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

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