Supply chains around the world are still working through bottlenecks along nearly every point in the chain, from raw material production to domestic trucking.
While last year’s holiday season didn’t bring the system-wide collapse that some feared, retailers and brands had to pay up for inventory, freight, domestic shipping and often for warehouse and other distribution workers in a tight U.S. labor market. With inventory constrained across the industry, many were able to pass costs on to consumers and even expand margins.
