Nearly half of retailers think they will see the end of widespread supply chain delays and disruption this year, with movement of goods returning to levels of normality seen before COVID and Brexit.
That’s just one of the trends uncovered by Advanced Supply Chain Group’s latest research, which highlights the factors that will have the greatest impact on retail supply chains, according to retailers.
After much disruption and uncertainty across global supply chains, there’s an overwhelming appetite for supply chain stability to return in 2022. This new research highlights strong levels of confidence amongst retailers, despite supply chain problems causing noticeable losses for many during the recent seasonal peak.
One-in-five retailers reported Christmas trading, including Black Friday sales, was between 21% – 30% down on forecasts, whilst a similar number saw pre-tax profits at 16% – 20% below expectations. This meant more than £5 million in lost seasonal sales for a third of retailers, whilst 13% missed out on sales revenues worth over £1m. 46% of businesses pinpointed out-of-stock items, caused by supply chain disruption, as the biggest contributor to missed sales opportunities across this peak.
Although the research shows strong confidence in supply chain performance this year, 33% of retailers are still planning to order stock earlier than usual in 2022, with the majority ordering between six to ten weeks ahead of typical schedules.
In the face of adversity, how can retailers best equip themselves to win back control over their inventory management and navigate future challenges to further improve supply chain stability?
We asked over 200 senior professionals with responsibility for stock inventory management to share how supply chain challenges had impacted their operations, and the trends most likely to influence their supply chains in 2022.
Our latest eBook shares these findings, uncovering the key retail trends for 2022 and what impact they will have on supply chains going forward.
Click here to download your copy and find out what steps retailers should be taking to optimise performance, improve efficiencies and create greater stability for their businesses.
About the research: SAPIO Research surveyed 212 retailers nationwide in January 2022. Senior professionals with responsibility for stock inventory management were asked for their opinions on trends affecting supply chain operations.
