Supply chains

Drug, logistics and public-health officials assemble a cold-storage supply chain as experimental vaccines approach the end of late-stage testing.

Blame lean manufacturing. A decadeslong effort to eke out more profit by keeping inventory low left many manufacturers unprepared when Covid-19 struck. And production is unlikely to ramp up significantly any time soon.

Best Buy Co Inc (BBY.N) warned on Tuesday of a slowdown in sales growth in the third quarter as it faced risks from unemployment, lower government stimulus and lockdown-hit global supply chains, sending the shares of the U.S. consumer electronics retailer down 4%.

After lobbying to be open, the big box scrambled to meet demand. Old benchmarks don’t apply, says CEO Craig Menear: ‘None of that has a correlation anymore.’

Store shelves won't be fully stocked with its products until 2021 due to a supply shortage.

COVID-19 made it clear: The supply chain desperately needs an upgrade.

Home Depot will open three distribution centers in the Atlanta area over the next 18 months to keep up with customers’ demands for speed and convenience. The home improvement retailer is investing $1.2 billion in supply-chain facilities over five years. SVP Stephanie Smith said the pandemic has underscored the importance of a strong and flexible supply chain as customers gravitate even more to online shopping and curbside pickup.

The company behind Tyson, Jimmy Dean and Hillshire Farm will roll out the new protocol at all 140 of its U.S. production facilities.

While toilet paper has mostly returned to the shelves since the panic buying of the early pandemic days in March, disinfectant wipes are still in short supply. Procter & Gamble’s Pennsylvania paper manufacturing plant has not experienced a raw material shortage because its pulp comes mainly from North America and Latin America. But Seventh Generation, a leading manufacturer in green cleaning and hygiene products, has seen supply chain disruptions for disinfectant wipes due to competition with PPE manufacturers for the same raw materials.

Toy manufacturer lost $33.9M in second quarter.