Stockouts hold Walmart back as e-commerce booms

CEO Doug McMillon said consumers briefly returned to the stock-up behaviors they displayed early in the pandemic, as COVID-19 cases spiked in pockets of the country.

By Emma Cosgrove • Aug. 18, 2020

'Made in China' order changes Hong Kong product labels, not tariffs

The labeling switch does not impact a product's tariff designation, but analysts said the "Made in China" label could have a negative effect on brand perception.

By Morgan Forde • Aug. 13, 2020

Explore the Trendline➔

Inventory Management

Read how retailers and brand manufactures are rethinking inventory management.

By Supply Chain Dive staff

How can managers make their supply chains more agile? 4 experts weigh in.

The ability to remain nimble and react to unforeseen changes across the value chain has proven more beneficial than scenario planning or forecasting for many businesses.

By Shefali Kapadia • Aug. 13, 2020

Retail suppliers are still under strain — and it could hurt everyone

Stores are open, but vendors face longer payment terms and financial uncertainty, which could hit retail shelves just as the holidays ramp up.

By Ben Unglesbee • Aug. 10, 2020

US reverses decision to reimpose aluminum tariffs on Canadian imports

The initial announcement to reinstate the 10% duties came as manufacturers faced a shortage of aluminum cans.

By Shefali Kapadia • Updated Sept. 16, 2020

US orders government to prioritize domestic drug supply chain

A directive announced by the president Thursday would require government agencies to buy certain "essential" drugs from factories in the U.S.

By Ben Fidler • Aug. 6, 2020

EcoVadis: Procurement's sustainability track record getting worse

The pandemic disrupted progress on supplier visibility as it stopped operations and prevented travel and in-person audits — casting doubt on potential improvement in 2020.

By Morgan Forde • Aug. 6, 2020

Dear valued supplier: Don't take advantage of the pandemic to raise prices

Nearly every cycle, some business condition creates cost challenges, with many price increases valid but others not. The goal is to separate fact from fiction.

By Rich Weissman • Aug. 6, 2020

Fashion industry says purchase order cancellations will endure in Q3 and beyond

Despite reduced optimism about the industry's future, 90% of survey respondents plan to increase hiring over the next five years, particularly in production and supply chain roles.

By Morgan Forde • Aug. 5, 2020

Beyond Meat incurs $6M in repacking expense to handle pandemic demand shift

With restaurants, schools and offices closed, the plant-based supplier switched food service production lines over to retail products, which resulted in a mix of 88% retail and 12% food service.

By Shefali Kapadia • Aug. 5, 2020

Wayfair reverses loss trend as pandemic volumes improve logistics network utilization

The "turning point" in profitability comes after years of investment to ramp up capacity in its middle- and last-mile networks.

By Emma Cosgrove • Aug. 5, 2020

ISM: Manufacturing growth indicates 'we're coming out of recession'

The PMI climbed to 54.2% in July, with employees returning to work and growing consumer demand contributing to a healthy reading.

By Morgan Forde • Aug. 3, 2020

US ventilator, PPE imports drop as coronavirus cases climb

S&P Global cites efforts by the Trump administration to encourage domestic production of key supplies to combat the coronavirus pandemic as a potential reason for the reduction.

By Morgan Forde • Aug. 3, 2020

Demand for partitions and face shields is booming. How a plastic fabricator is adapting its supply chain

Imaginative Materials leaned on supplier relationships and started buying larger sheets of material as customer calls for partitions rolled in. 

By Jen A. Miller • July 30, 2020

'More complex by the day': Leaders turn to automation to sustain IT efficiency

IT teams expect to offload repetitive work by automating processes and shifting focus to higher value tasks.

By Roberto Torres • July 30, 2020

Electronics supply chains are stuck between a pandemic and a trade war. Where do they go from here?

Shifting operations is a mammoth undertaking for the electronics industry due to China's specialized production capacities, co-location of key suppliers and economies of scale.

By Morgan Forde • July 23, 2020

Apple's 2030 roadmap to carbon neutrality focuses on product design, supplier base

The company plans to invest in emissions reduction technologies and carbon removal projects to achieve net-zero emissions across its operations, manufacturing, supplier base and product life cycles.

By Morgan Forde • July 23, 2020

Gartner: 17% of CSCOs are women but talent pipeline, development remain stagnant

According to the survey, "not a single respondent" listed employee resource groups as the best step toward preparing and elevating women in senior supply chain roles. 

By Morgan Forde • July 22, 2020

Pork producers face $5B in losses with surplus of hogs

Pandemic-driven plant closures have slowed meat processing. The National Pork Producers Council is calling on Congress to pass financial aid for farmers.

By Lillianna Byington • July 22, 2020

Maersk, Microsoft, Nike, Unilever, others form net-zero emissions initiative citing 'climate emergency'

Member companies have committed to sharing best practices across their value chains.

By Morgan Forde • July 21, 2020

Flooding in China disrupts medical, PPE suppliers. Shippers should expect delays

Maersk said it had several inland terminals suspend operations as a result of the flooding in Anhui and Jiangxi provinces, though "the situation is improving, as the water recedes," a company spokesperson told Supply Chain Dive.

By Matt Leonard • Updated July 23, 2020

MIT, CSCMP: 35% of companies lack supply chain sustainability goals

Social issues — child labor or slavery, worker welfare, etc. — received "far more" focus in companies' sustainability goals than environmental issues.

By Matt Leonard • July 20, 2020

4 ways to restore healthcare supply chains before COVID-19's second wave hits

Healthcare organizations shouldn't try to restore supply chain service to pre-pandemic levels, rather, they should focus on greater cost-effective and efficient operations, writes Jeff Berman, a principal at Grant Thorton.

By Jeff Berman • July 20, 2020

DHL: Supply chains must adapt to current conditions before post-coronavirus recovery

Transparency, investing in digital transformation, and identifying alternate supply and distribution channels are key to shoring up organizations during this "pre-new normal" phase, according to DHL's report.

By Morgan Forde • July 20, 2020

Conducting supplier audits in the era of COVID-19

Buyers are leaning on contractual obligations and technology to curtail the use of physical audits. 

By Craig Guillot • July 16, 2020