Retailers did not achieve 1-day delivery in 2020: study

Companies took about three days to fulfill orders, while brick-and-mortar locations leveraged BOPIS and curbside pickup services.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Dec. 17, 2020

Container movement lags at Port of Los Angeles as unseasonably high imports arrive

Dozens of container ships are idling off the Southern California coast, a sign of "the sheer amount of traffic" at the Port of Los Angeles, said Executive Director Gene Seroka.

By Matt Leonard • Dec. 16, 2020

Walmart to take middle-mile trucks driverless in Arkansas

Since the retailer began its self-driving pilot with Gatik last year, the trucks have traveled more than 70,000 operational miles in autonomous mode.

By Rosie Bradbury • Dec. 16, 2020

Sam's Club equips its fulfillment operations with robotic pickers

The retailer has adopted the use of GreyOrange autonomous mobile robots in its new Southern California fulfillment center for e-commerce orders.

By Gary Wollenhaupt • Dec. 15, 2020

Peak season fulfillment fuels BOPIS growth at Walmart, Target

In a rare vulnerability for Amazon, research is piling up that customers want omnichannel services for shopping and returns.

By Daphne Howland • Dec. 14, 2020

Company of the Year: Target

Target's digital sales increased 141% in Q1 and 195% in Q2. And as online orders grew, so did the share fulfilled from stores.

By Emma Cosgrove • Dec. 9, 2020

The Supply Chain Dive Awards for 2020

From Target to 3M, these are the companies and executives that shaped supply chains during this unprecedented year.

By Supply Chain Dive Team • Dec. 9, 2020

CBRE: Holiday sales expected to generate $70.5B in returns

The capacity constraints 3PLs are facing during peak season have been widely reported, but expanded networks are expected to benefit retailers when it comes time to process returns through warehouse networks.

By Matt Leonard • Dec. 8, 2020

Bed Bath & Beyond works to catch up to decades of supply chain modernization in 3 years

Starting with what one analyst called a "primitive" supply chain, the retailer has nowhere to go but up. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Dec. 2, 2020

Walmart to lay off more than 1,200 in omnichannel reorganization

The retailer announced in a July internal memo that layoffs were imminent. Executives said new positions in the supply chain would open as a result of an ongoing attempt to blend store and e-commerce operations.

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 30, 2020

Best Buy tests limited SKUs on store floor to make space for fulfillment

The retailer will add 90 ship-from-store hubs during the holiday season, supplementing the 250 ship-from-store locations it piloted in September.

By Shefali Kapadia • Nov. 25, 2020

Burlington supply chain costs soar as off-price retailers struggle to get product into stores

Since non-essential retail reopened across the U.S. in May, off-price retailers like Burlington, TJX and Ross have struggled to get the right product in the right place — hitting the profitability of this previously bulletproof retail class. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 25, 2020

Bark adds distribution center for BarkBox fulfillment capacity

Fulfilling BarkBox subscription boxes requires a facility that can handle packing multiple SKUs into one box before sealing and stacking them on pallets.

By Matt Leonard • Nov. 24, 2020

Imports flood Southern California warehouses, Port of LA plans incentive for dual transactions

Dwell times at terminals and for warehouse space have doubled, according to Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka.

By Shefali Kapadia • Nov. 19, 2020

Ahold Delhaize strengthens omnichannel presence with majority stake in FreshDirect

The partnership with a deep-pocketed company like Ahold Delhaize also could strengthen FreshDirect's ability to compete against well-funded rivals like Instacart and Uber.

By Sam Silverstein • Nov. 18, 2020

Target builds replenishment, fulfillment capacity as digital sales grow 155%

For peak season, the retailer is cross-training at least 50% of in-store team members to support fulfillment work.

By Emma Cosgrove • Nov. 18, 2020

Ship from store makes sense in a pandemic. Does it make sense long term?

Making the fulfillment method work requires physical changes and a view of inventory down to the SKU level. 

By Jen A. Miller • Nov. 17, 2020

The implications of shipping direct to consumer

On top of high costs, fast and free delivery expectations, and returns, brands also put customer retention at risk by forfeiting control over the last mile.

By Caroline Jansen • Nov. 16, 2020

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

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

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

Demand volatility is the supply chain disruptor of 2020

The pandemic is still the dominant force on global economies, but leaders say supply is no longer the top problem.

By Emma Cosgrove • Oct. 30, 2020

Walmart launches test stores to further blend tech and in-store ops

The prototype locations will allow the retailer to quickly experiment with ways to make fulfillment more efficient and move in-store inventory online.

By Ben Unglesbee • Oct. 29, 2020

Supply chain visibility is 'awfully low,' but improving it can aid operations goals

A recent survey found that 40% of supply chain leaders plan to increase their investment in real-time visibility, which one expert said could help with omnichannel and forecasting.

By Matt Leonard • Oct. 27, 2020