Welcome to our 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 Blue Yonder Live video:
1. West Coast Port Congestion Finally Clears Up
Over the past year, we’ve talked a lot about the logjams at the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach and how these have impacted our everyday lives — from holding Halloween decorations at sea and almost preventing last year’s holiday shopping season.
But we have good news — finally! The congestion at the west coast ports has cleared! Between China’s re-routing many ships through the east and gulf coasts and the expedited processing of cargo at LA and Long Beach, the logjam has been eased and retail stores across the U.S. are filled with inventory.
2. Now There Are Too Many Shipping Containers
Now that the logjam on the west coast has been cleared, we have a new problem — too many empty shipping containers. And these empty containers left at the ports could cause congestion all over again. To help combat full and overflowing depots, many ports have started levying fees for empty containers sitting in terminals for too long.
3. Expect To Pay a Little More for Your Christmas Tree
If you’re looking to buy a fresh Christmas tree for the holidays, expect to pay more this year. Yep, inflation really has affected everything. Every cost that goes into a Christmas tree has increased — from fertilizer to labor to transportation.
4. A Rail Strike Will No Longer Impact Holiday Shopping
A rail strike on Dec. 9 has been looming, threatening to throw a Grinch — er, wrench — in holiday shopping. But thanks to an almost century-old law that regulates labor relations only when it comes to railroads and airlines, Congress has imposed unpopular contracts on the four rail unions that control 30% of the nations freight shipments. Once the president signs the measure, which is expected today, there will no longer be a chance of a rail strike.
5. Black Friday Was Still Big, Despite Inflation
Despite record inflation, the Black Friday shopping season was still a big success for retail, seeing 196.7 million shoppers from Thanksgiving Day to Cyber Monday. Blue Yonder conducted its own Black Friday survey to gauge shopping trends and buyer behaviors, and Erin Halka, Senior Director, Industry Strategy, shared her insights in the blog post Black Friday/Cyber Monday Weekend: Three Takeaways From Our Latest Survey.
