Furniture retailers struggle with depleted inventories after Vietnam lockdowns

Williams-Sonoma and La-Z-Boy expect continued inventory delays as factories work to ramp up production. 

By Sarah Zimmerman • Dec. 1, 2021

Amazon, Walmart among 9 companies to receive FTC order for supply chain data

The information the FTC will solicit is at the forefront of supply chain managers' day-to-day operations, such as the disruptions to obtaining and transporting products.

By Shefali Kapadia • Nov. 30, 2021

Walmart sees 51% increase in throughput at Southern California ports after Biden's shift to 24/7

Retailers brought a holiday wish list of additional supply chain actions to a White House meeting.

By Colin Campbell • Nov. 30, 2021

Gap could take $650M sales hit from supply chain woes

Factory closures and shipping backups are causing inventory shortages.

By Ben Unglesbee • Nov. 29, 2021

On-time rates dip for USPS and UPS, climb for FedEx ahead of holidays: Convey

Staffing shortages and upstream supply chain issues are slowing deliveries for last-mile parcel carriers, Convey by project44 said.

By Max Garland • Nov. 23, 2021

Kroger shares transaction-level data to help CPGs plan for demand

The grocer unveiled a collaborative cloud tool that aims to help clients make smarter decisions about everything from production levels to marketing spending amid supply chain disruptions.

By Peter Adams • Nov. 18, 2021

Wayfair's logistics service fuels capacity growth, strengthens carrier relations

"They need to partner with us because we have that dense network," CEO Niraj Shah said of the company's 16,000-plus suppliers.

By Max Garland • Nov. 16, 2021

Williams Sonoma debuts shipping membership program

For $99 per year, members have access to free shipping and other perks. 

By Tatiana Walk-Morris and Alejandra Salgado • Nov. 16, 2021

Google, Kroger invest in Nuro as AV delivery gains momentum

The autonomous delivery company has agreed to use computing and storage capacity from Google Cloud to support development of its self-driving vehicles.

By Sam Silverstein • Nov. 10, 2021

Small businesses have their own set of supply chain challenges — and advantages

For small business owners, complex holiday logistics and a shorter supply chain mean they are doing much of the work with a shoestring staff.

By Kaarin Moore • Nov. 9, 2021

Port delays across the US double in-transit inventory times for Columbia Sportswear

The brand is encountering the bulk of its logistics issues in the U.S., as deliveries in Canada and Europe "have been much more timely," CEO Tim Boyle said.

By Max Garland • Nov. 8, 2021

Mattel nearshores manufacturing to bypass port bottlenecks during peak

For imported products, the toymaker locked in ocean freight capacity and rates well in advance of the holiday season.

By Sarah Zimmerman • Nov. 4, 2021

6 charts show the effects of Vietnam's lockdowns on supply chains

Brands with high exposure to Vietnam are seeing port delays, canceled orders and slow capacity recovery after months of COVID-19 related restrictions.

By Edwin Lopez • Oct. 25, 2021

Scale, buying power help big companies navigate supply chain disruptions

Large companies like Domino's, Levi's and Lowe's say their size has helped secure pricing and stay resilient despite other headwinds.

By Sarah Zimmerman • Oct. 21, 2021

7 ways to optimize budgets as transportation costs rise

Prolonged high prices force manufacturers and retailers to figure out how to make their budgets work. 

By Deborah Abrams Kaplan • Oct. 13, 2021

Kroger steps up same-day delivery with new automated fulfillment centers

The grocer is adding more fulfillment facilities powered by technology partner Ocado as it looks to increase the coverage and speed of its delivery services.

By Catherine Douglas Moran • Oct. 13, 2021

Top retailers will establish robot resource departments as demand grows: Gartner

Further investment in robots is one way companies are boosting fulfillment center productivity, as orders get processed closer to the point of delivery in a new era for retailers.

By Max Garland • Oct. 12, 2021

Lamb Weston passes on freight costs as rate inflation continues

Hiking prices can help "recover the cost of product delivery," said CFO Bernadette Madarieta, after noting inflation ate away at profits in Q1.

By Max Garland • Oct. 12, 2021

Major paint supplier looks to overcome resin shortages with new Texas facility

RPM International said it lost 300 production days after a February winter storm and an explosion at a major supplier led to shortages. Now, it's purchasing assets to add resilience.

By Sarah Zimmerman • Oct. 11, 2021

Retail imports surged to historic highs in 2021, bringing port congestion too

A forecast by Hackett Associates suggests U.S. ports will have to process 4 million more TEUs in 2021 than they did in 2020.

By Edwin Lopez • Oct. 8, 2021

Siloed data presents a hurdle to tracing tiers of the supply chain

As procurement pros seek deeper relationships with suppliers, they often find vital information is not available in digital forms.

By Gary Wollenhaupt • Oct. 7, 2021

With denim trends in its favor, Levi's shrugs off the price of cotton

The brand is mitigating expenses thanks to its tight supply chain control and maintaining momentum due in large part to its direct sales to customers.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 7, 2021

How PepsiCo harnesses data to help retailers increase sales

The company's Pepviz platform uses analytics, data science and other tools to ensure a store is carrying the right product mix and optimizing shelf space. 

By Christopher Doering • Oct. 7, 2021

Walmart's delivery service lands Home Depot as its first customer

The deal gives Walmart GoLocal a client with billions of dollars' worth of online orders to fulfill.

By Max Garland • Oct. 6, 2021

'We're going to see a lot of bare shelves': Retail preps for a holiday beset by supply chain pain

Bottlenecks from factories to cargo ships mean less inventory and fewer discounts for the season.

By Ben Unglesbee • Oct. 5, 2021