2017 was another transformative year for freight transportation, logistics, and the food supply chain. In many ways, the end of the year is like the last mile. It’s the final push, the homestretch, but often it’s marred by hiccups (and traffic) along the way. An efficient, stress-free finale may seem like an elusive goal.
Here’s a look at this year’s biggest stories in logistics, and how they caused fundamental shifts in the way business is done.
Each year, supply chain professionals work to bring candy, costumes, pumpkins, and more to consumers to celebrate Halloween. According to the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) annual survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics, total spending for Halloween is expected to reach $8.4 billion this year. This marks an all-time high in the survey’s 11-year history. US consumers are expected to spend an average of $82.93 on Halloween this year (based on 171 million Americans planning to celebrate Halloween), which is about $8 more than last year.
From the 20 million pounds of candy corn sold each year to the increasingly popular DIY pumpkin décor trend, 3PLs, suppliers and carriers have been busy prepping from October 31 over the last couple of months.
Many businesses are implementing eCommerce stores in order to sell their products and services over the Internet to consumers all over the world. However, what many executives seem to forget is that this online store needs to be fully integrated into their management system in order satisfy their impatient customers.
Finding new ways to reduce logistics costs is probably your eCommerce brand’s highest priority. It’s difficult to manage the cost of logistics alone.
The dilemma is particularly difficult for mid-sized CPG companies that lack the resources, systems capabilities and freight volumes larger competitors use to drive efficiencies.
One solution could be working with a third-party logistics provider (3PL) that specializes in getting consumer goods to mass retailers and grocery chains. The right 3PL partner can help smaller firms generate big savings without major capital investments.
