Is the Supply Chain Ready for Black Friday?

 

Key Points:

  • The future of the supply chain is still undetermined.
  • More companies pulled their inventory to warehouses earlier this year.
  • The U.S. may consider options to become more independent in the future.

2021 could very well be remembered as the year that supply chain went mainstream. What was once a niche topic discussed only by those in logistics, has now made its way into regular conversations for people across the globe.

This is due, in part, to the fact that the supply chain touches every industry in one way or another. Those who have tried to purchase a new or used car over the past year have discovered how disrupted this industry has become as a result of the global chip shortage. This is just a snapshot of how one industry has been impacted by the disruption of a system that remained delicately balanced until COVID-19 and a host of other factors threw a figurative wrench into it.

Commentary:

From toiletries to food, the availability of goods has been severely impacted by the pandemic. David Beaird, President of Beaird Supply Chain, joined Tyler Kern to discuss these global supply chain issues and whether or not retailers are ready for Black Friday.

Before the pandemic, the U.S. was a just-in-time supply chain with stable supply and demand. The pandemic caused those who manage inventory to go offline, and supply cessation occurred simultaneously with increased demand.

global supply chain disruptions in 2021

 

Because of the backlog, many companies are re-examining their supply chain. Holding inventory decreases uncertainty, but it is “cash on the floor,” which companies want to minimize. But with increased demand, many companies have opted to pull merchandise into warehouses earlier this year. Beaird explained, “The amount of investment on the personnel and the tools, and the technology, and the external help that a company will need to get through this, I think a lot of companies will reevaluate this.” He added, “I think people are now really truly seeing what the advantage of a strategic supply chain is.”

Forward deployment, where companies push supplies as close to demand as possible by using a series of small, scattered, distribution centers, could be the future of supply chains. The U.S. may rethink overseas supply and examine how to obtain supplies within the continent. The supply chain is still dynamic, so whether the U.S. will return to a global supply model or switch models to a regional model has yet to be determined.

 

What has been the negative impact on your company's business outcomes as a result of supply chain issues related to COVID-19?

 

“I think people need to understand the fact that they can get in the car for the most part and go 20 miles and pretty much get anything they want off the shelf. They need to realize that’s a miracle,” said Beaird. Immediate gratification is not something we can constantly expect. Beaird commends how retailers have prepared early to be ready for Black Friday but hopes the U.S. will prioritize vocational studies and leveraging technology to become self-sufficient.

More Stories Like This:

One Ship, a Worldwide Crisis: How Can Supply Chains Get Unstuck?

How America’s Crumbling Roadways Impact Coast-to-Coast Supply Chains

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

ESA
ESA Success Requires Strategy, Infrastructure, and Support Beyond Legislation
April 21, 2025

As education savings accounts (ESAs) gain traction across the United States, the conversation is shifting from policy debates to the complexities of implementation. Fueled by post-pandemic dissatisfaction with traditional school models and a desire for more customizable educational options, ESAs are being adopted in a growing number of states, often under “universal” frameworks. But…

Read More
supply chain data analytics
Supply Chain Data Analytics Fails Without Clean Data, Ventagium Delivers the Fix
April 21, 2025

Supply chain leaders face an overwhelming volume of siloed data across ERPs, TMS platforms, and warehouse systems, yet few know how to align it for smarter decisions. The stakes are rising fast. According to Capgemini’s 2024 report Data: A Powerful Ally in Tackling Scope 3 Emission Reduction Targets, 85% of organizations cite data access…

Read More
cancer immunotherapy
What’s Next in Preclinical Cancer Immunotherapy Research?
April 19, 2025

As the field of cancer immunotherapy rapidly evolves, researchers are turning to next-generation in vitro technologies to replicate the complexities of the tumor microenvironment with unprecedented fidelity. Organoid platforms and ex vivo patient-derived tissue models are transforming how scientists approach preclinical testing, offering deeper mechanistic insights and better predictive power for therapeutic response. With immunotherapies…

Read More
vitro
Analyzing the Suppressive TME in In Vitro Based Assays
April 19, 2025

In the rapidly advancing field of cancer immunotherapy, accurately modeling the tumor microenvironment (TME) has become essential to improving the predictive power of preclinical drug testing. As immune-modulating therapies surge forward, with over 4,000 immune modulators in development globally, scientists are refining assay technologies that maintain the complexity of patient-specific tumor biology. In vitro platforms…

Read More