Supply Chain Analysis news

Amazon has launched an end-to-end supply chain solution for manufacturers using its platform. Suppliers will be able to use ‘Supply Chain by Amazon’ to collect manufactured goods, store inventory in bulk, and replenish stock in Amazon fulfilment centres and other sales channels. Supply Chain by Amazon allows sellers to wholly outsource supply chain operations to Amazon, allowing them to benefi...

The Department for Transport has awarded £8m in funding to 39 roadside services across England to support the upgrading of truck stop facilities for HGV drivers. Government funding will contribute up to 50% of the capital costs of improving facilities, such as showers, rest areas, parking, and security. The Department for Transport has also launched a second window for roadside service oper...

As online grocery continues to grow, it is accounting for a greater proportion of retailers’ business. However, due to the profitability challenges this shift is creating, it is increasingly important for retailers to seek more efficient fulfilment methods. A range of fulfilment strategies are currently being used by grocers globally, including store pick, dark stores, centralised fulfilment c...

Lidl has opened its largest distribution centre (DC) globally in Houghton Regis, near Luton. The new DC is 110,000 sq. m, and 500 metres long. The DC will deliver over 9,400 pallets per day to 150 stores. It is also the first Lidl GB warehouse to be equipped with automation technology. The warehouse features solar panels that are expected to generate 2,000,000 kWh of electricity per year, m...

Müller Milk & Ingredients is trialling two technologies to eliminate carbon emissions from the refrigeration of its HGV trailers, which are ordinarily powered by diesel. In partnership with Sunswap, Müller is testing delivering fresh milk in refrigerated trailers that run from solar-charged batteries. Working with Carrier Transicold, Müller is also trialling trailers powered by kinetic ener...

Tesco will replace the coloured plastic caps on its private-label milk bottles with clear versions. Milk variants will still be clearly identifiable by the coloured block labels on the bottle. Coloured plastic is more difficult to recycle as it must be processed separately from clear plastic. The change in packaging overcomes this issue, allowing 3,900 tonnes of extra plastic to be recycled pe...

Nestlé has made its first delivery using an innovative rail container. The container allows pallets to be stacked at double height by using a raising roof. Once loaded from the top, the roof is lowered to just above the pallet height. As a result, the rail container is lower in height than if it were loaded in a conventional way. This helps it overcome the height constraints of the rail net...

Asda has published its third ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) report, giving an update on its progress toward meeting its environmental targets. Continued progress toward net zero carbon emissions Asda is working toward a net zero target in its own operations by 2040, with an interim goal of halving emissions from its 2015 baseline by 2025. The business achieved an 8% reductio...

Tesco has become one of the first retailers in the world to have its net-zero plans validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTI), which includes its efforts decarbonise its use of forests, land, and agriculture (FLAG). The SBTi works with businesses to define a path to achieve their net-zero greenhouse gas amissions, which are considered science-based if they align with the goals o...

Tesco to trial soft plastic mince packaging   Tesco is to trial 'pillow packs' for two fresh mince lines.   'Pillow packs', unlike the vacuum packaging other retailers have introduced for mince products, are slightly inflated. This means the mince product is unchanged from traditional packaging and is not compressed.   The new packaging uses 70% less plastic than the ordinary tr...