Category: Suppliers

June 19, 2024

Four years after the pandemic roiled the retail industry and disrupted supply chains in previously unimaginable ways, retailers across the country are still recovering. Wild swings in consumer demand have made it difficult to determine appropriate inventories, and the costs […]

June 11, 2024

Squeezed between rising logistics costs and consumers who have come to expect products at the click of a button, retailers are relying on price increases, customer experience differentiators and tech improvements to keep profits up, retailers said at an industry […]

May 30, 2024

1-800-Flowers.com uses FedEx, UPS and the U.S. Postal Service — along with local florists — to deliver orders. The company has worked to manage rising expenses tied to these providers since shipping and fuel costs began to surge in fiscal […]

May 22, 2024

In the post-COVID world, restaurants can’t really opt out of takeout and delivery. Just as consumers got used to the convenience of debit and credit card payments—leaving cash-only restaurants in the dust—today’s diner expects convenience, quality and speed, whether they’re […]

March 25, 2024

With over 100,000 suppliers, the scale of Walmart’s supply chain is mind-boggling. And so when the world’s largest retailer takes on a supply chain initiative, the results can have global ramifications. Moreover, it can set the pace for the entire […]

March 20, 2024

There are two forces hard at work in the supply chain today: there is not enough talent, and the talent is not educated enough for a technologically advanced world. Reconciling the two will go a long way to solve many […]

March 1, 2024

Of the numerous AI applications in supply chain management, supplier selection, risk resilience, and contract negotiation are often cited as offering the most potential for generative AI. The need for high volumes of text and data makes these areas particularly […]

February 29, 2024

Unreliable suppliers, transportation delays, and communication breakdowns are just some of the headaches faced by logistics and transport professionals every day. Fortunately, 5G technology can resolve these issues and streamline supply chain management. 5G connectivity gives companies end-to-end visibility into […]

February 27, 2024

The unit economics surrounding Walmart’s last-mile delivery operations have improved as it grows its online shopper base and, consequently, order volume from its stores. Store-fulfilled delivery sales jumped 50% in Q4, with the company reaching a $2 billion monthly run […]

February 23, 2024

Like so many organizations, the Reshoring Institute did a predictions survey for 2024. The results surprised us. Out of all the responses, politics was the most often cited regarding what will affect supply chains in 2024. Fifteen or 20 years […]

February 22, 2024

A common challenge supplier quality leaders face is getting suppliers to implement improvements beyond those necessary to maintain compliance. According to participants in Gartner’s Supplier Quality Management Benchmark Survey, even if suppliers have the knowledge and ability to develop their […]

February 15, 2024

A well-run supply chain organization has more in common with music than many may think. A supply chain is made up of many parts—there are physical assets like trucks on the roads and robots in the warehouse. There are the […]

February 14, 2024

U.S. retailers expect import growth through the first half of 2024 despite continued delays at the Suez Canal and terrorist attacks on ships in the Red Seas, according to the Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation […]

February 13, 2024

The history of customer service dates to nearly the beginning of time, back to when merchants of the ancient civilizations in Rome and Greece worked to satisfy their customers. It has evolved since then, but until the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted […]

February 12, 2024

Global trade patterns have been on the move for the last five years as U.S. companies continue to focus on diversifying their supply chains. Combine steep tariffs and an unprecedented pandemic with increasing climate disasters, geopolitical tensions, and greater consumer […]

February 9, 2024

The supply chain and workforce that make up the sector are constantly evolving. Labor shortages in transportation and warehousing are quick to make headlines, but job opportunities across the supply chain continue to go unfilled despite promising pay and benefits. […]

February 7, 2024

Attacks on vessels by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in the Red Sea have disrupted international trade, threatening price hikes and shipment delays. Many importers are revisiting coping strategies tapped during the pandemic. The Suez Canal is the main route for shipping […]

February 2, 2024

The United States Postal Service (USPS) recently unveiled its first round of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at a new Sorting and Delivery Center (S&DC) in Atlanta, Ga. The Postal Service expects to convert approximately 400 S&DC sites nationwide so […]

January 25, 2024

Whether you are utilizing one warehouse or 10 warehouses, there are optimal locations for where inventory should be stored. Chicago Consulting has released its 10 Best Warehouse Networks for 2024 to help businesses make better informed decisions. While its research […]

January 19, 2024

Shipt has launched an innovation lab focused on “big thinking to centralize delivery and product experiments across the country,” according to a statement from the company, which is an independently operated subsidiary of Target. The lab will explore the potential […]