The Children’s Place Refines Supply Chain Leadership Roles
The Children’s Place promoted Kristin Clifford to senior vice president, head of sourcing and product operations, expanding her remit to include international and technical design. The move is part of a broader executive reshuffle that also elevated Aleksandra Kinney to global planning and inventory leadership and added Kim Roy and Lisa Pillette to senior roles. The retailer’s leadership changes mirror similar supply‑chain realignments at PVH and Nordstrom, underscoring a sector‑wide focus on operational agility. The announcements were made effective Feb. 24, 2026.
Saks Distribution Center Layoffs to Impact Nearly 600 Employees
Saks Global announced the permanent closure of two Pennsylvania distribution centers, eliminating 590 positions. The Wilkes Barre facility will lay off 155 workers starting April 11, while the Pottsville site will cut 435 jobs beginning May 3. Both locations lack union...
US Finalizes Reciprocal Trade Deal with Ecuador
The United States and Ecuador have finalized a reciprocal trade agreement that extends most‑favored‑nation (MFN) tariffs to a range of Ecuadorian products such as flowers, coffee, fruits and chemicals, while granting Ecuador preferential treatment for future US tariff actions. In...
Trump’s Temporary 10% Tariff Faces Further Legal Scrutiny
Two small firms, spice maker Burlap and Barrel and toy producer Basic Fun, have filed a lawsuit in the Court of International Trade to overturn President Trump’s temporary 10% global tariff imposed under Section 122 of the Trade Act. The companies argue...
Ongoing Tariffs, Iran War Weigh on Aluminum Prices
U.S. Section 232 tariffs on aluminum and tinplate steel remain at 50%, despite a Supreme Court ruling that struck down broader trade measures. The Midwest Premium for aluminum broke the $1‑per‑pound barrier in January 2026, pushing input costs for metal‑packaging producers...
FedEx, UPS up Fuel Fees, Levy Middle East Surcharges Amid Iran War
UPS and FedEx have introduced temporary per‑pound surcharges for shipments to and from the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa in response to the Iran‑related conflict and rising fuel costs. UPS levies a $0.64/lb surge fee on 15 Middle‑East countries,...
USITC Probes USMCA Auto Rules’ Impact on Industry Competitiveness
The U.S. International Trade Commission has opened a fact‑finding investigation into how the United States‑Mexico‑Canada Agreement’s automotive rules of origin affect U.S. competitiveness, especially for advanced and electric vehicles. The probe follows two earlier biennial reports that highlighted mismatches between...
How Mars, Meta, Patagonia and L’Oréal Are Tackling Scope 3 Emissions: GreenBiz26
At GreenBiz26, sustainability leaders from Mars, Meta, Patagonia and L’Oréal detailed how they are measuring and cutting scope 3 emissions, which account for up to 90% of corporate carbon footprints. Mars reported a 16.4% supply‑chain emissions reduction since 2015 and launched...
Best Buy Counters Memory Shortage with Inventory, Vendor Tweaks
Best Buy is confronting a sharp rise in memory‑chip costs driven by an AI‑fuelled data‑center boom. The retailer plans to load warehouses with extra stock, extend vendor forecasting windows, and tighten assortments in high‑pressure categories. It also encourages suppliers to highlight...
Enter the Shark Tank: How Kenvue Innovates Its Operations
Kenvue COO Meri Stevens introduced monthly "shark tank" meetings to accelerate operational innovation, rapidly testing ideas and discarding weak concepts. A digital council allocates funds, delivering ten‑fold in‑year savings while scaling winning projects globally. Innovations focus on touchless agents, predictive...
De Minimis: Case Aiming to Revive Exemption Can Proceed, Court Rules
The U.S. Court of International Trade has lifted the stay on Axle of Dearborn Inc. v. Department of Commerce, allowing the company to pursue a revival of the de minimis exemption that permits duty‑free imports under $800. Detroit Axle argues the August...
General Mills Taps Interim CSCO for Top Supply Chain Post
General Mills has confirmed Jonathan Ness as its permanent chief supply chain officer, effective March 16, after serving in an interim capacity since January. Ness, a 20‑year veteran of the company, will oversee manufacturing, logistics, sourcing and planning and report...
Urban Outfitters Builds Out Second Phase of Automation in Kansas Facility
Urban Outfitters is launching the second phase of automation at its Nuuly fulfillment center in the Kansas City area, part of a $60 million, five‑year investment plan. The upgrade targets expanded capacity, faster delivery, and lower logistics costs as the Nuuly...
Iran Conflict Tests 2026 Air Cargo Outlook
Xeneta’s March 5 report warns that the Iran‑U.S./Israel conflict is reshaping the 2026 air cargo outlook. February showed a 6 % YoY volume rise and spot rates up 5 % to $2.58/kg, indicating resilience. With the Strait of Hormuz closed, jet‑fuel costs could...
UPS’ Future Is Less E-Commerce, More SMB, B2B and Healthcare
UPS is restructuring its network to reduce reliance on Amazon, shedding roughly $5 billion in revenue and 2 million daily packages. The carrier will pivot toward higher‑margin verticals such as business‑to‑business, industrial, healthcare and small‑business shipments. Through its Digital Access Program, UPS...
Manufacturers’ Biggest Challenge in Adopting AI Is Preparing Their Systems for It, Expert Says
Manufacturers face a bigger hurdle than AI technology itself: adapting physical facilities and workflows for automation. Asad Afzal of A‑Safe warns that many plants were not built for the increased automation AI enables, leading to congestion and equipment strain. Companies...
Turning Logistics Data Into a Massive Competitive Advantage
The 2026 Gartner Market Guide highlights AI’s rise in freight audit and payment, shifting the focus from simple invoice checks to comprehensive data audits. Legacy systems struggle with fragmented, unstructured logistics data, creating margin leakage across the $11 trillion spend ecosystem....
Can Reshoring and Onshoring Deliver Manufacturing Sustainability Benefits?
U.S. manufacturers are accelerating reshoring and onshoring, with Apple committing over $500 billion and Johnson & Johnson earmarking $55 billion for domestic production through 2029. Companies cite supply‑chain resilience, tariff pressures, and ESG goals as drivers, while surveys show cost remains the dominant factor...
Food, Beverage Companies Lagging on Addressing Forced Labor Risks: Report
A new Business and Human Rights Centre benchmark of 45 leading food and beverage firms shows an average forced‑labor mitigation score of just 15 out of 100, a decline from the previous assessment. Only two companies – Australia’s Coles and...
Hormel Foods Faces Transportation Cost Pressures
Hormel Foods reported a sharp rise in transportation expenses during Q1, driven by a severe freight capacity crunch after Winter Storm Fern slashed shipment volumes by 55% in late January. Spot freight rates climbed as driver availability tightened, extending pressure...
FedEx Hub Chemical Spill Leads to Postal Service Shipping Restrictions
The U.S. Postal Service has placed an embargo on Priority Mail Express shipments until Friday following a chemical spill at FedEx’s Memphis World Hub on Feb. 25. The spill forced a partial shutdown of the facility, which can sort up to 484,000 packages...
NAPA Expands Use of Warehouse Robots
NAPA Auto Parts is expanding its warehouse automation by deploying over 100 AI‑powered mobile robots from Brightpick at a new distribution center. The rollout follows a 2025 pilot that demonstrated reduced picker travel time and improved order accuracy. Brightpick will...
Kroger Taps Inventory Drones for Cold Chain Distribution Operations
Kroger has begun using Corvus Robotics’ Corvus One drones to automate inventory scanning in its ambient and sub‑freezing distribution centers. The drones autonomously locate and scan pallets, delivering weekly, facility‑wide visibility without requiring Wi‑Fi, markers, or warehouse modifications. Capable of...
‘It’s Not Just All the Big Companies’: Warehouse Robotics Use Expands
Warehouse robotics are moving beyond Amazon and Walmart as subscription‑based models lower entry barriers. A 2025 MHI study shows robot usage in warehouses jumped to 48%, with 64% of respondents adopting robotics‑as‑a‑service (RaaS) or SaaS solutions. Mid‑size firms like Superior...
Bridging the Payment Gap: Why Suppliers Are Taking Control
Supply‑chain cash flow is tightening as buyers cling to cash, pushing late‑payment rates to 55% and on‑time payments down to 37%. SAP Taulia’s survey of 10,854 suppliers shows a five‑year high 66% interest in early‑payment programs. Suppliers are counter‑acting by adopting...
Home Depot Launches Real-Time Delivery Tracking for Large Items
Home Depot has introduced real‑time delivery tracking for all large‑item orders, expanding a feature previously limited to small parcels. The rollout leverages handheld devices used by drivers to log checkpoints, giving customers live visibility into the status of bulky shipments...
Norfolk Southern, CMA CGM Partner on Intermodal Service
Norfolk Southern and global carrier CMA CGM have launched a new intermodal service linking the Midwest to the West Coast, using 40‑foot high‑cube containers and a door‑to‑door model. Managed by Norfolk Southern’s Triple Crown Services, the offering moves freight from Cleveland,...
Why Sourcing Shifts Are Easier Said than Done when Battling Tariffs
Tariff volatility under the Trump administration is forcing U.S. brands to rethink where they source products. Executives like Brooklinen's COO note that shifting production to a new country takes months, not weeks, and domestic cotton supplies are limited. Companies are...
3 Ways FedEx, UPS Competitors Are Leveling up in 2026
Alternative parcel carriers such as Veho, Gofo, UniUni and Maersk E‑Commerce are intensifying competition with FedEx and UPS in 2026. They are rolling out new tech‑driven features like real‑time performance portals, AI‑optimized FlexSave delivery windows, picture‑proof‑of‑delivery and weekend service. Coverage is...
Shipper Purchase Orders Hold Steady Despite Tariff Uncertainty
Shippers continue to place purchase orders with Asian factories despite ongoing tariff uncertainty, according to Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. January TEU volumes fell about 12% year‑over‑year, with imports down 13% and exports down 8%, while empty...
Applied Materials to Pay $252.5M to Settle Export Violations
Applied Materials agreed to pay a $252.5 million penalty to the U.S. Department of Commerce, settling 56 export‑control violations involving illegal shipments of ion‑implanting equipment to China’s SMIC. The settlement also requires two internal audits of the company’s compliance program, and...
USPS Tests Picture Proof of Delivery Capability
The U.S. Postal Service is field‑testing a new camera feature on its Mobile Delivery Device app that captures photos of delivered packages. The pilot runs in Phoenix, New York City, Dallas and Fargo, but images are not yet available to customers....
De Minimis Still Shelved After Supreme Court’s Tariff Ruling
The U.S. de minimis exemption, which let shipments under $800 enter duty‑free, remains suspended after President Trump’s executive order, despite a Supreme Court ruling that declared IEEPA‑based tariffs unconstitutional. The Court’s decision did not directly address the exemption, leaving its legal...
Supply Chain Visibility as a Strategic Advantage: Leveraging RFID to Navigate Tariffs and Compliance
Supply chain visibility has shifted from a nice‑to‑have to a competitive imperative, especially as global trade faces volatile tariffs and stricter compliance regimes. Radio‑frequency identification (RFID) offers item‑level, real‑time data that lets firms map goods across borders with unprecedented clarity....
Is Inventory Processing Time Slowing Your Brand’s Growth?
Small and mid‑size brands are losing cash flow when inventory induction time— the period between arrival at a fulfillment center and being sale‑ready—gets stretched. Delays lock capital, force costly expedited freight, and can miss seasonal demand, squeezing margins. A hybrid...
How AI Agents Are Solving Logistics’ Most Repetitive Task: Track and Trace
Logistics firms are turning to AI agents to automate the labor‑intensive track and trace function, which can cost up to $25 per shipment in manual effort. Shipwell’s Track & Trace AI Worker, embedded in a transportation management system, gave Airlite...
Southern Glazer’s Opens South Carolina Distribution Center
Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits inaugurated a 412,500‑square‑foot distribution center in West Columbia, South Carolina. The 85‑acre facility can store 1.39 million cases, with 13 receiving and 22 shipping docks, parking for 279 vehicles and capacity for 108 trailers. Equipped with...
FedEx Plans to Close over 475 Stations Due to Network 2.0
FedEx will shut more than 475 stations, roughly 30% of its U.S. and Canada footprint, as part of its Network 2.0 consolidation. The initiative merges Ground and Express operations, shifting focus to large metros such as San Francisco. Already, over 200 sites...
Tariffs, Supplier Fire Continue to Batter Ford
Ford Motor Co. reported a roughly $2 billion tariff hit in 2025, double the amount projected just months earlier, after a miscommunication about the effective date of auto‑part tariff offsets. A fire at Novelis’ Oswego aluminum plant added another $2 billion headwind,...
JM Smucker Overhauls Supply Chain Leadership
J.M. Smucker announced a sweeping overhaul of its supply‑chain leadership, eliminating the chief operating officer role and seeing the retirement of two senior vice presidents. The company created a new chief product supply officer position, promoting Rob Ferguson to oversee...