Demand and supply planning news

The EU has unveiled a series of measures that are set to reduce the amount of paperwork and the number of internal UK border checks that are required under the protocol on goods crossing the Irish sea to Northern Ireland (NI) from the rest of the UK. Background Treatment of trade between GB and NI poses numerous practical difficulties and it is exceptionally sensitive, politically, for both...

As it gears up for the critical holiday trading period, we look at the actions Target is taking to ensure it can meet shopper demand. Cost and capacity issues US retailers are facing several supply chain challenges, related to cost and capacity issues. Congestion at ports in Asia and on the US west coast, driven by lockdowns and labour availability, along with the shortage and rapid increas...

The current shortage of HGV drivers is perhaps the biggest challenge the food and consumer goods industry has faced in years. Its impact can be seen in supermarkets, which have been negatively impacted by missed deliveries and replenishment problems in recent weeks. A few months ago, my colleague James Walton looked at the overarching causes, consequences and potential remedies to the HGV dri...

CO2 production resumed Production of CO2 at CF Industries’ plant in Teesside will be resumed in the next few days, as the government is set to cover full operating costs to run the plant for three weeks. The plant is due to become operational again in three days’ time. CF Industries’ second plant, located in Cheshire, will still remain closed for now. US-owned CF Industries has recently sto...

Over the last few years, there has been a lot of focus on synchronising the moving parts of food and consumer goods supply chains, increasing collaboration levels and improving visibility over the end-to-end value chain. At the recent Supply Chain Summit from IGD, we invited a range of supply chain professionals to share their views. Here’s a selection of key insights from the session, which i...

A growing need to focus on ecommerce performance The last twelve months or so have seen massive growth in the online grocery retail channel, with the rate of growth accelerated by the pandemic and its associated shifts in consumer behaviour.  Though growth of the channel is expected to slow down somewhat, as COVID-related restrictions ease globally, IGD forecasts an average compound annual gro...

Heineken is set to expand the use of Blue Yonder’s artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) powered demand planning solution. Roll out across five operating companies Over the next few years, Heineken will deploy the new demand planning solution across five of its largest operating companies worldwide. Blue Yonder’s solution is due to expand Heineken’s digital capabilities t...

We look at Dollarama’s Q4 results and the impact of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic on the early part of its first quarter. Full year sales up to CA$3.8 bn The retailer’s fourth quarter sales increased by 0.5% to CA$1.1 bn, with the quarter one week shorter than in 2019. Comparable store sales increased by 2.0%, or by 3.8% excluding the impact of a calendar shift. Operating income incre...

On February 28, SPAR International released a document on Preparedness Planning to help its customers and partners respond to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Recognising consumer behavioural shifts SPAR outlined the anticipated consumer behaviour shifts:                       Avoidance of dining out along with shifting to more meals at home, especially where schools might be clos...

Leading north-west regional wholesaler, Parfetts has moved to a 24/7 picking operation to meet spiking delivery orders from its independent retail customers during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.  Faced with unprecedented consumer demand independent retailers are purchasing in significantly increased volumes to meet these needs.  Parfetts’ traditional cash & carry business is also sharply...