XPO Logistics: Companies demand outsourcing, warehouse automation as e-commerce surges

The company's contract logistics segment won several large contracts recently, including a direct-to-consumer fulfillment center deal with Apple.

By S.L. Fuller • May 4, 2021

Kroger pilots drones for last-mile grocery delivery

The grocer, along with partner Drone Express, will begin making deliveries this spring in Ohio and then expand to California in the summer.

By Jeff Wells • May 4, 2021

Explore the Trendline➔

Inventory Management

Read how retailers and brand manufactures are rethinking inventory management.

By Supply Chain Dive staff

Ford doubles down on lean in the face of semiconductor shortage

The automaker expects the semiconductor shortage to get worse before the supply levels improve, with the second quarter now the expected trough for the sourcing issue.

By Matt Leonard • May 3, 2021

Talent, skills gap among top barriers to growing digital business

Supply chains adopting automation and robotics require a labor force to operate and oversee emerging technologies. 

By Roberto Torres • May 3, 2021

Starbucks says it will help distribution partners struggling with labor shortages

Delayed or disrupted fulfillment from distribution centers to stores are possible if Starbucks-delivery partners can't find the labor they need to move goods.  

By A.B. Brown • April 30, 2021

Tesla faces 'insane' supply chain headwinds, from semiconductor shortages to port congestion

The manufacturer is building factories as quickly as possible and aims to double supplier capacity next year, executives said.

By S.L. Fuller • April 28, 2021

Amazon insources logistics with a growing network of delivery stations

Once the expansion is completed, "there won't be an ounce of soil in America that Amazon can't reach with its own fleet," one analyst said.

By Matt Leonard • April 27, 2021

Warehouses turn to gamification to level up productivity

Supply chain leaders take a carrots-over-sticks approach to incentivizing warehouse labor as the industry struggles to recruit and retain workers.

By Gary Wollenhaupt • April 27, 2021

How the pandemic changed retail supply chains

Whether sales were up or down, retail supply chain leaders knew one thing was clear: Strategies had to change.

April 26, 2021

Panasonic buys Blue Yonder for $7.1B as pandemic heightens data demand

The deal combines Blue Yonder's software and planning technology with Panasonic sensors, hardware and IoT devices.

By Shefali Kapadia • April 23, 2021

Patent Pending: Amazon plans for packing with the right fit, eBay says buses are for drones too

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 • April 22, 2021

It's game on for packaging procurement as lead times lengthen

Stadiums and concessions anticipate surging demand as events resume. Can supplies keep up?

By Jen A. Miller • April 22, 2021

54% of companies plan to up spending on inventory planning: MHI

Inventory and network optimization tools saw the largest YoY jump in companies reporting the technology as "in-use today" with 45% of companies falling into that category, up from 40% last year.

By Matt Leonard • April 20, 2021

Bed Bath & Beyond revamps supply chain with a tech stack and 4 warehouses

Regional distribution centers are the first step in cutting down store replenishment time from a "noncompetitive" 35 days to under 10 days, the COO said.

By Shefali Kapadia • April 20, 2021

Retail supply chains and consumers are at a crossroads with returns

Do retailers need a C-suite position to manage reverse logistics?

By Kaarin Moore • April 19, 2021

TSMC plans $100B investment to battle semiconductor shortages

The semiconductor shortage should be "greatly reduced" by the next quarter, though it could still last until 2022 if demand remains high, CEO C.C. Wei said.

By Matt Leonard • April 16, 2021

9 charts show the highs and lows of supply chains in Q1

By the end of March 2021, supply chains had spent more than a year fighting the fires of the pandemic.

By Shefali Kapadia , Matt Leonard • April 14, 2021

How the pandemic impacted demand at FedEx, Clorox and C&S Wholesale

Companies across industries began to shift operations in early 2020, as signs pointed to changes in demand and consumer habits.

By Matt Leonard • April 14, 2021

The pandemic brings supply chains out of the shadows and CSCOs into the spotlight

C-suites and boardrooms recognize how crucial the supply chain function is, which provides an opportunity for CSCOs to push for strategic value in their roles.

By Jen A. Miller • April 13, 2021

GreyOrange, Tompkins Robotics team up on 'zero walk' fulfillment

The system eliminates the need to release orders in waves, as in a typical goods-to-person system, instead allowing real-time order fulfillment.

By Matt Leonard • April 13, 2021

Conagra incurs $15M in supply chain costs to keep up with demand

The company bypassed the distribution network it normally relies on and instead shipped directly from the plant or a single distribution center to the customers.

By Matt Leonard • April 13, 2021

Amazon unionization effort fails in Alabama

By many accounts, Amazon treated the possibility of the unionized fulfillment center as a major threat to its business.

By Ben Unglesbee • April 13, 2021

How the pandemic drove retailers to on-demand warehousing

Supply chains had a front-row seat to volatility over the last year, and a need for more flexible operations.

By Matt Leonard • April 12, 2021

Tyson adds processing plant to package chicken for retail

Meat sales skyrocketed during the pandemic thanks to at-home cooking and many consumers plan to keep up their purchasing patterns, prompting the company to ramp up production capabilities.

By Lauren Manning • April 12, 2021

Supply chains do the math on reshoring's pros and cons

COVID-19 exposed risks and spurred conversations about moving manufacturing, but the pandemic is far from the only factor to consider.

By Deborah Abrams Kaplan • April 8, 2021