The Season of Thanks… and Freight
Almost Turkey Day and Black Friday—two events that highlight the importance of logistics like no other time of year. While many are preparing their Thanksgiving feasts and gearing up for shopping sprees, logistics professionals are working behind the scenes to ensure shelves are stocked, deliveries are on time, and customer expectations are met.
In this week’s Cargoccino, we’re raising a cup for the supply chain heroes who keep their wheels turning during one of the busiest times of the year.
-- Podcast Cargoccino served here --
Furniture Industry: Innovation Meets Logistics
Furniture companies like Raymour & Flanigan Furniture and Mattresses are redefining customer experiences with tools like their 3D Cloud Sectional Configurator, enabling real-time customization. But behind every click and configured sofa lies a well-orchestrated supply chain ensuring that inventory, delivery, and timelines match the promise.
Tariffs: Stocking Up or Switching Gears?
With proposed tariffs targeting imports from Canada, Mexico, and China, logistics teams are facing renewed pressure to adapt sourcing strategies while keeping costs in check. The holiday season adds urgency, making proactive freight planning more critical than ever.
Your next move matters—protect your margins and stay ready for what’s next.
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Rethinking Returns: Keep it!
In 2022, U.S. consumers returned over $816 billion in merchandise—16.5% of all retail sales, according to the NRF and Appriss Retail. Returns don’t just hurt the bottom line; they can devour up to 59% of an item's price when factoring in shipping, restocking, and unsellable inventory.
More and more retailers are rolling out “Keep It” policies, letting customers keep certain items instead of processing a return. While this reduces logistics expenses, it introduces new hurdles: untracked inventory losses and increased waste.
For logistics teams, it’s another example of how the lines between customer service and supply chain are becoming more blurred—and more critical to get right.
Peak Season Gamble
Peak season is a make-or-break moment for retailers, but as Target’s recent 4.6% decline in comparable sales shows, even the best plans can falter when consumer demand shifts unexpectedly. Despite prioritizing early deliveries to avoid delays, Target missed earnings expectations, citing cautious spending and higher markdowns.
This highlights the challenge for supply chains: stock too much, and you face dead inventory and steep discounts; stock too little, and you risk missed revenue. With peak season representing a large share of annual profits, agility and real-time data have never been more crucial.
Port of LA: Speeding Up Amid Record Loads
The Port of Los Angeles is setting a new standard for efficiency this peak season, handling a record 900,000 TEUs in September while cutting average container dwell time to just 2.3 days—down from over 9 days last year. This turnaround, driven by streamlined rail operations, showcases how proactive logistics strategies can improve throughput even under immense pressure.
De Minimis Deluge: A Billion Packages and Counting
The U.S. is processing over 1 billion duty-free shipments annually under the de minimis rule, which exempts imports valued below $800 from tariffs.
This surge, largely driven by e-commerce, now accounts for 92% of all U.S. cargo entries, with 88% arriving by air.
Source: The LoadStar
The Frontloading Dilemma: Costs vs. Agility
With potential tariffs on Chinese goods rising to 10%, U.S. importers are frontloading shipments to lock in lower costs. While imports from China rose 4.7% year-over-year in October, this strategy carries risks—higher storage fees, overstocking, and cash flow strain.
The smarter approach? Focus on critical goods and maintain lean inventories to adapt to shifting policies and demand.
How is frontloading affecting your supply chain this season?
Rebellion Rising: Amazon’s Black Friday Turbulence
Amazon is bracing for strikes and protests across 20 countries this Black Friday as the "Make Amazon Pay" movement enters its fifth year. From November 29 to December 2, workers and activists will demand better labor conditions and stronger climate commitments, spotlighting the growing intersection of logistics, ethics, and sustainability.
With Amazon’s global footprint, disruptions like these could ripple across supply chains, adding new urgency for logistics leaders to prioritize resilience and adaptability amid external pressures.
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How is your supply chain preparing for potential disruptions this holiday season? Let’s discuss strategies in the comments.
Thanksgiving Week Rundown: Retailers Gear Up for Black Friday
Thanksgiving week isn’t just about turkey—it’s a pivotal moment for retailers preparing for Black Friday. From closures to live shopping events and Q3 earnings reports, the logistics world has its eye on how this week shapes up:
?? Thanksgiving Closures More retailers are prioritizing their teams by closing on Thanksgiving, including The Home Depot, Lowe’s, Best Buy, Costco, Aldi, and Five Below. It’s a well-deserved pause before the Black Friday rush kicks into high gear.
?? Star-Studded Shopping Events Celebrities like Martha Stewart, Eva Mendes, and Jennifer Hudson are taking center stage with live shopping events on Amazon Live, Facebook, and Instagram. These events blur the lines between entertainment and e-commerce, driving engagement and early sales.
?? Earnings in Focus This Tuesday saw Q3 earnings from major retailers like Dick’s Sporting Goods, Best Buy, Abercrombie & Fitch, Macy’s, and Nordstrom. While some remain optimistic, concerns over potential election-related uncertainty loom over holiday forecasts.
FP&A: One Does Not Simply Walk into Mordor
In the epic quest of Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A), implementing AI isn’t the magical shortcut to success many hope for—it’s more like a journey to Mount Doom.
As 25-year FP&A veteran Liran Edelist cautions, automation alone won’t wield the power you seek. To carry the AI “ring” responsibly, you’ll need:
Like Samwise Gamgee, BlueCargo is the partner that won’t let you carry the burden alone. With our Managed Service, our team of freight audit experts steps in to lighten the load, guide your journey, and ensure your freight operations are running at peak efficiency.
?? What is baking at BlueCargo? ??
?? A heartfelt message from our CEO, Alexandra Griffon :
This Thanksgiving, we want to thank the incredible supply chain and logistics chaos coordinators who keep the containers moving. To our partners, customers, and users - and future ones - you are the reason we innovate and push boundaries every day. Your trust and collaboration mean everything to us, and we’re truly grateful to be part of your journey and success. Happy Thanksgiving! ????
Here’s to the people behind the freight—the planners, coordinators, and problem-solvers who make it all happen. Wishing you a moment to pause and enjoy the holiday.
Let us know what you’re thankful for this season in the comments below!
?? Protecting Your Supply Chain in an Unpredictable World
The recent ransomware attack on Blue Yonder is a stark reminder of how vulnerable supply chains can be.
At BlueCargo, resilience is built into everything we do:
?? S2T2 Security: Our cloud-native infrastructure ensures superior business continuity and protection against cyber threats.
?? Reliable Visibility: Seamless integration with all U.S. and Canadian ports gives you complete containers' data at every step of their journey.
?? Cost Control: From D&D to all accessorial fees, and more, our analytics turn potential losses into measurable savings.
?? As the holiday season approaches
We’re excited to reconnect at upcoming events like the HTA Holiday Party, the POLB Customer Appreciation event, and the NYNJ Trade Association gathering. Let us know which events you’ll attend—we’d love to meet and celebrate in festive style.
?? TPM25
... Is just around the corner, and we’re preparing some exciting surprises!
Whether you’re attending or not, let us know your plans—we’ve got a special meeting suite this year, and wristbands are required for access. We’d love to add your name to our visitors’ list.
Head of Marketing | Media Producer
3 个月Tyler Rieger Grant Pollock Shane Ball Carey Spanos Pedro Matias Josh Niv Thank you to all of you! #grateful #thankyou