Week of November 29th, 2021
Linking supply chain news with dangerous goods compliance
The past year and a half has highlighted the critical role the supply chain plays in our daily lives. It has also showcased The holiday season is in full swing and labor shortages and delayed shipping times continue to put pressure on an already strained supply chain.
Let’s examine some recent industry news.
SUPPLY CHAIN NEWS
- Black Friday Shopping in Stores Drops 28% from Pre-pandemic Levels: Traffic at retail stores on Black Friday dropped 28.3% compared with 2019 levels, as Americans shifted more of their spending online and kicked off their shopping earlier in the year.
- U.S. Black Friday Shoppers Tapered Online Splurge, as Some Returned to Stores: U.S. shoppers spent slightly less online during Black Friday this year, with many venturing back to physical stores despite coronavirus fears, tight supplies, and retailers’ efforts to encourage earlier holiday purchases.
- Going to the Store may be Your Smartest Bet to Navigate the Supply Chain Crisis this Holiday: High demand, combined with supply chain delays, materials shortages and troubles hiring workers, are shrinking the availability of items both online and at stores. As customers get closer to the last minute, physical stores will become a more appealing option for shoppers than waiting around for delivery.
- It’s Not Just Shipping: A Wide Range of Supply Issues Are Plaguing Startups This Holiday Season: As a whack-a-mole array of choke-points pop up, fast-growing companies explain their strategies for keeping their customers satisfied.
OUR PERSPECTIVE
- Keeping up with demand requires preparation. Consumers are looking to get goods any way they can – ordering online, shopping in store, ordering online and picking up in store. Shippers must be prepared to get their goods to customers in a range of ways – this means having the necessary processes, infrastructure, trained employees and supply chain partners in place. This is especially true for those transporting complex and regulated dangerous goods.
- Shipping hazmat can cause even more headaches. When you’re doing everything imaginable to make sure your shipments reach their destinations on time, the last thing you need is to have a shipment delayed or returned due to a compliance failure. Common hazmat shipping errors include mistakes with labels, marks and documentation, neglecting reverse logistics processes and even shipping hazmat without knowing you’re shipping hazmat.
- Don’t wait to plan for returns. Peak season may be underway, but return season is right around the corner (if it hasn’t already started). Return shipments are subject to the exact same regulations as outbound shipments, which means they can be frustrated by the exact same errors. And managing returns can be even more challenging because consumers are the shipper. That is why it is critical for businesses to have well-defined processes for compliant reverse logistics of DG.
To learn more about Dangerous Goods software or how to establish a safer, more compliant supply chain, visit https://www.labelmaster.com.
Have questions about Dangerous Goods transport? Call the Labelmaster Regulatory Hotline at 1.800.621.5808.
As the industry’s most robust, flexible, and advanced hazmat shipping software, Labelmaster’s DGIS can actually help your operation make more money. DGIS validates shipments and prepares DG declarations so quickly, you can handle more shipments every hour. And more shipments mean more revenue.
Try your own numbers in our calculator to see the added revenue DGIS can generate for you.
