Supply chains

Best Buy Co Inc signaled a slowdown in the coronavirus crisis-driven demand for remote-work computer equipment as it missed holiday-quarter sales estimates, sending its shares down 8%.

During a remade shopping season, many Americans ditched stores for digital outlets. And pandemic buying trends that favored household goods and food over apparel continued, according to early sales data from firms that track shopper spending.

The U.S. pharmaceutical giant is preparing to ship billions of Covid-19 vaccines using frozen boxes, cargo planes and trucks in a mega logistics operation.

Dove soap maker’s business in countries such as India, for years a competitive advantage, becomes more challenging.

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.