How 6 chains expanded grocery pickup during the pandemic

Some, including Walmart, have taken advantage of a large click-and-collect footprint. And some, such as Target, ramped up grocery pickup after demand soared.  

By Jeff Wells • Nov. 16, 2020

Moderna's coronavirus vaccine presents fewer cold chain hurdles than Pfizer

The company's COVID-19 vaccine is expected to stay stable at 2-8 degrees Celsius, the temperature of a standard refrigerator, for up to 30 days and will be distributed through McKesson. 

By Matt Leonard • Nov. 16, 2020

Explore the Trendline➔

Inventory Management

Read how retailers and brand manufactures are rethinking inventory management.

By Supply Chain Dive staff

Walmart adds 'pop-up' direct-to-consumer fulfillment capacity at 42 distribution centers

The model provides flexibility to the retailer's fulfillment capabilities, allowing it to increase capacity when it's experiencing peak-level volume and scale down when demand dissipates.

By Matt Leonard • Nov. 13, 2020

How COVID-19 amplified the importance of the cold chain

Months of demand tested the cold chain, from keeping food supply chains flowing to developing distribution strategies for a coronavirus vaccine.

By A.B. Brown • Nov. 13, 2020

Schneider Electric invests $40M in supply chain upgrades to prepare for post-pandemic demand

Schneider is introducing new capabilities and production lines that will allow it to work with fewer suppliers by finishing some of its own inputs — with added capacity to construct some components entirely in-house when necessary.

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 12, 2020

Ahold Delhaize tackles a $480M supply chain overhaul during a pandemic — and Thanksgiving

The grocery group is forging ahead with an insourcing transformation amid a busy time in a tumultuous year. What could go wrong?

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 12, 2020

PepsiCo pilots micro-fulfillment tech for e-commerce orders

The pilot facility outside Chicago will expedite the picking process while requiring less floor space than traditional picking, according to PepsiCo.

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 11, 2020

What we know about Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine distribution plan

The pharmaceutical company plans to ship vials directly from manufacturing plant to point of vaccination in a supply chain model it described as flexible and just in time.

By Matt Leonard • Nov. 11, 2020

Beyond Meat acquires co-packer to tackle unit costs

The $14.5 million deal will provide the company opportunities to test new processes and more quickly scale up products, CEO Ethan Brown said.

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 11, 2020

Take a dynamic approach to supply chain, US government.

Federal lawmakers proposed a task force to fund a more "resilient" supply chain. But resiliency is not the answer for the future, the author writes.

By Nader Mikhail • Nov. 10, 2020

Inventory roller coaster expected to trend upward after August lows

Retail inventories have been on a wild ride through the course of the pandemic. They bulged when retailers shut their doors, fell when sales were higher than expected, and early signs show they're successfully rebuilding.

By Matt Leonard • Nov. 10, 2020

Patent Pending: Target's plan to simulate supply chain flow

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 • Nov. 10, 2020

Delays, surcharges and returns: Holiday shipping headaches have just begun

In a season expected to produce more than $190 billion from online sales alone, retailers are pulling out all the stops to keep up with demand.

By Caroline Jansen • Nov. 9, 2020

XPO: Early peak boosts last mile, supply chain outsourcing

Revenue for the 3PL's logistics business grew 5% YoY, which it credited to e-commerce growth and omnichannel fulfillment.

By Matt Leonard • Nov. 6, 2020

Ball fragments aluminum can supply to meet North American demand

While new manufacturing capacity is in the works, Ball Corporation will focus on using data to fine-tune existing operations and squeeze every can possible out of its supply chain. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 6, 2020

Supply chain agility entered the spotlight when the pandemic made forecasting futile

Supply and demand swings shifted flexibility and visibility from nice-to-have capabilities to must-haves.

By S.L. Fuller • Nov. 6, 2020

Coupa buys Llamasoft in $1.5B deal

The deal puts procurement and supply chain technology under one umbrella at a time when businesses are prioritizing a close alignment of supply with demand.

By Shefali Kapadia • Nov. 5, 2020

So you want to reduce your supply chain emissions

Walmart’s journey to a robust scope 3 emissions program reveals a shift in the way sustainability advocates see the supply chain and the urgency with which companies need to address it.

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 5, 2020

Wayfair's logistics network is getting a workout due to the pandemic, but will it last?

Questions from analysts about the max capacity of Wayfair's network mark a reversal from just a few months ago when concern about the timeline for full network utilization was top of mind.

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 4, 2020

Sealed Air, packaging suppliers shift to serve e-commerce 'mega trend'

Businesses said they've seen increased e-commerce traffic as a result of the pandemic, and they expect some of that volume to stick.

By Matt Leonard • Nov. 4, 2020

Automation upgrades warehouse execution systems to essential status

The technology creates a digital twin, providing inventory management traditionally found in a WMS while adding the ability to control automated infrastructure.

By Matt Leonard • Nov. 3, 2020

Inside Chewy's first automated fulfillment center

Priorities around worker safety, cost structure and warehouse efficiency guided how the pet e-tailer built its tech stack in Archbald, Pennsylvania.

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 3, 2020

Supplier deliveries slow as manufacturers await election results: ISM

Companies indicated their inventories were finally growing, though customer inventories are still too low.

By Matt Leonard • Nov. 3, 2020

Kraft Heinz boosts supply-chain-stressed SKU production 20%

The company adapted its product mix to the raw materials available in Q3, which U.S. Zone President Carlos Abrams-Rivera offered as evidence of Kraft Heinz's increased agility as it adopts a new operating model.

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 2, 2020

Meat processors expedite robotics plans as pandemic ups pressure

The future of meat manufacturing could include 3D scanners and automated cutting. Tyson, Smithfield, Cargill and JBS are looking to increase automation.

By Lillianna Byington • Nov. 2, 2020