“It’s starting to look like the wild, wild west for retailers where uncertainty reigns and anything’s possible in the back half of 2024.” That’s according to Vicki Young at Sourcing Journal, who recently reported that retail inventory levels remain very lean.
But with leaner inventories comes the risk of missed sales, especially in a shorter-than-normal holiday shopping season. In response, many companies are looking to improve their daily supply chain operations and decision-making.
As FourKites Founder and CEO Matt Elenjickal wrote, “Inventory strategies are increasingly focused on optimizing stock locations — what to hold and where, especially for inventory not immediately sold. Retailers and CPG companies are adjusting their supply chain strategies to delay the final positioning of inventory, allowing them to better meet regional demand without over-investing in warehousing. Companies are also making upstream decisions about which inventory to place on transport and opportunities to pivot to higher-priority items.”
The key to making those decisions? Having real-time insights into what’s actually going on on the ground.
Jeff Berman
The team at
Speaking of McKinsey… The majority of today’s supply chains lack any technology enablement in the yard, which,
