Welcome to a new monthly series where we give you the scoop on five things you may have missed in supply chain news. You can also catch the full rundown from our LinkedIn Live video.
1. Start your holiday shopping now — no, really
There’s a perfect storm in the supply chain, and it’s going to affect your holiday shopping. Demand from U.S. consumers is way up, but supply continues to bottleneck because of COVID-19 outbreaks at ports in China. Add onto that the worker shortages in warehouses and trucking, and we are in for a wild ride this holiday season. Experts advise not to expect big Black Friday discounts and that you should start your shopping right now instead.
2. How lunchrooms are fighting supply chain disruptions
We’ve been hearing about food shortages at restaurants throughout the entire pandemic, but nobody is really talking about school cafeterias. Typically, lunchrooms receive about 97% of what they order, but that number is now alarmingly low — near 70%. Since the Department of Agriculture strictly dictates what can and can’t be served, schools are constantly looking for creative options that still fit the guidelines, and they’re seeking relief in the constraints from the federal government.
3. The case of the missing airport snacks
If you haven’t traveled in a while because of the pandemic, we have some devastating news: the airport snacks are gone. Why? During the pandemic when no one was flying, the snacks were packaged for different uses and shipped elsewhere. Now that some level of travel has returned, the supply simply can’t meet the demand. Find out more in our recent blog post The Case of the Missing Airport Snacks.
4. What’s going on in Vietnam?
Before July, COVID-19 wasn’t widespread in Vietnam, but since then, over 10,000 cases have been identified. Now that the country is under strict lockdown, the fashion industry is hurting. Big clothing brands are all feeling the pain, with inventory that is severely delayed and often with no estimated arrival dates.
5. Say it ain’t so — now there’s a coffee shortage?
So, what’s going on with your cup of Joe? The better question is: what isn’t? The cuppa crisis started with a record drought in Brazil, which produces 30% of the global coffee supply. Add onto that port closures and worker shortages and we have a supply chain shortage of the world’s favorite caffeinated concoction. Blue Yonder’s retail guru, Jim Hull, shares three predictions for the coffee shortage: coffee substitutes will rise; soda sales will increase; and big coffee will prevail, but at a cost. Read all about it in our blog post Say It Ain’t So — Now There’s a Coffee Supply Chain Shortage?
To read more supply chain news, head over to our thought leadership hub: https://blueyonder.com/thought-leadership
