Retail Logistics Disruptions and Resilience

Chain Reaction

Since the pandemic began in 2020 disruption to supply chains has become expected. Transport is at the centre of getting the right goods to the customer in the right place, at the right time and at the right price. On time and complete delivery was the mission for those delivering supply chain promises. Retail Logistics has been responsible for some great innovations in combining technologies to deliver goods to stores and their customers. It employs people in farms and production centres across the globe. Goods then have to be transported by road, rail and ship to their market destinations, wholesalers, retail customers and consumers. There are many challenges that retail logistics face beyond the normal supply chain issues such as natural disasters, crop failures, wars and government policies to name but a few. Each challenge brings with it a unique situation that retailers have to vercome to keep supply chains moving to deliver on time and complete. Retail supply chains have to be resilient. When the Covid 19 Pandemic emerged in March 2020 no one realised at that point all the challenges that supply chains would face. By April and May it became clear that there were problems getting personal protective equipment (PPE), Medical Supplies including ventilators and medicines. As people became sick with Covid and lockdowns closed production units and retail stores supply chains became stretched and cracks occurred in the system. The UK was continuing with its never ending saga of Brexit and that caused its own problems for retailers, food supply chains, fisheries and many other categories of goods brought into the UK from the EU or exported to it. Shortages began to emerge in supermarkets and customers began to stockpile food and household items at home. It got a lot worse before getting marginally better. However, by Christmas there were hold ups at UK Ports and the beauracracy introduced by all the new regulations and customs requirements added days to deliveries. Many EU HGV drivers based in the UK retunred home to countries in Europe since they could no longer work in the UK due to the removal of 'freedom of movement'. Today it is estimated that there is a shortage of 100,000 HGV drivers and this is and has caused immense disruption to food supplies and other goods. In March 2021 The Ever Given owned by Evergreen ran aground in the Suez Canal and remained s

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About Tony Hines and the Chain Reaction Podcast – All About Supply Chain Advantage
I have been researching and writing about supply chains for over 25 years. I wrote my first book on supply chain strategies in the early 2000s. The latest edition is published in 2024 available from Routledge, Amazon and all good book stores. Each week we have special episodes on particular topics relating to supply chains. We have a weekly news round up every Saturday at 12 noon...