FedEx has announced the development of an autonomous delivery robot that helps retailers to make same-day and last mile deliveries even smarter and faster. Executive vice president and chief marketing and communications officer for FedEx, Brie Carere, said: “The FedEx SameDay Bot is an innovation designed to change the face of local delivery and help retailers efficiently address their customers’ rising expectations.” The company is having conversations with brands such as Walmart, Target and Pizza Hut around how this bot can work for their delivery needs.
Home Depot has revealed that it has achieved 70 percent same day delivery capabilities in the US and has said that it is planning to invest a further $US 1.2 billion into its supply chain to further this reach. Best Buy has reported strong financial results that are believed to have been driven by the supply chain. The sales of wearables, appliances, smart home devices et al had a positive impact on sales in the festive season and the company’s investments into supply chain capabilities played no small role in this success.
In the UK, Aldi, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Co-Op and Waitrose have become founding partners in an initiative dedicated to responsible recruitment in the supply chain. The ResponsibleRecruitmentToolkit.org is a capacity building tool that allows for improved selections and more strategic recruitment for those in the industry.
Remember the KFC crisis of 2018? Well, it turns out that it is the same company running the NHS supply chain. DHL will be put in charge of delivering medicines that are expected to be in short supply post-Brexit and it raises concerns. If they can’t do chicken….
On the research front, ResearchAndMarkets has found that the South American supply chain market is to achieve $US3.7 billion by 2023. It is a growing market and the research company predicts that blockchain is to play a significant role going forward.
Also in the news: Dollar Tree chief supply chain officer, Gary Maxwell says the supply chain needs a reputation makeover; perhaps the cure for the sustainable supply chain is Spotify; and the digital bank Revolut has had its money laundering lapse exposed…
