Speaker A

Welcome to Supply Chain now, the number one voice of Supply chain.

Speaker A

Join us as we share critical news, key insights and real supply chain leadership from across the globe.

Speaker A

One conversation at a time.

Speaker B

Hey, good morning, good afternoon, good evening, wherever you may be.

Speaker B

Scott Luton and Allison Giddens here with you on Supply Chain now.

Speaker B

Welcome to today's live stream.

Speaker B

Hey, Allison, how you doing today?

Speaker C

Hey.

Speaker B

Hey.

Speaker C

Good.

Speaker C

How are you?

Speaker B

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.

Speaker B

We were just talking in the pre show.

Speaker B

You're fresh off attending the Savannah Bananas and their big performance at Truest Park.

Speaker B

Is that right?

Speaker C

Yes, it was fun.

Speaker C

It was an over stimulation of lots of noise and colors and action, but it was a lot of fun.

Speaker B

I'm with you.

Speaker B

All right, so on a scale of one to ten, and I'll let this go after this question, one to ten, what would you give the experience?

Speaker C

Oh, gosh.

Speaker C

An eight and a half.

Speaker B

Oh, wow.

Speaker B

Okay.

Speaker B

All right.

Speaker C

I mean, I think what would probably would have made it better was better seats maybe.

Speaker B

Okay, so the Savannah Bananas folks, if you're new to what they're doing with the game of baseball, is quite the performance.

Speaker B

You'll have to Google it and follow up with Allison.

Speaker B

Get her expert take after today's buzz.

Speaker B

Well, Allison, we've got a jam packed show here today, folks.

Speaker B

It's the Buzz where every Monday at 12 noon Eastern time, we discuss a variety of news developments across global supply chain and business.

Speaker B

We got lots of great topics here, Alison.

Speaker B

Whether we like it or not.

Speaker B

We're gonna be talking about the new automotive tariff ripple effect.

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We're gonna be talking about the latest on British steel's troubles.

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Retailers making big moves with supply chain tech.

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It's not a new story, but a new wrinkle on that.

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And you'll never guess who is conducting one of the biggest Easter egg hunts in history.

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All that and a whole bunch more.

Speaker B

Allison.

Speaker B

Should be a great show, huh?

Speaker B

It will be.

Speaker B

All right.

Speaker B

We want to wish Eid Mubarak to all of our friends across the globe that are celebrating this very special day.

Speaker B

So best wishes to you and your families.

Speaker B

Okay, Alison, we're going to get started by sharing some resources.

Speaker B

Are you good with that?

Speaker C

Let's do this.

Speaker B

And how about a chicken drive in a pickup truck?

Speaker B

How about that for an image?

Speaker C

I did.

Speaker C

I did like that when I saw that.

Speaker C

And I went.

Speaker C

That's got to be Scott's post.

Speaker C

Yep, sure is.

Speaker B

We named this chicken Henrietta.

Speaker B

Henrietta the pickup truck driving chicken.

Speaker B

But there's a reason, folks.

Speaker B

So all this came via the latest edition of with that said, our almost weekly newsletter, which published over the weekend, we touched on a lot of interesting things, starting with a friendly reminder, National Supply Chain day coming up, April 29th.

Speaker B

We're less than a month out, folks, so come join us.

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Celebrate it wherever you may be and all the people that make Supply chain happen.

Speaker B

But come join us at 12 noon for a live show that day.

Speaker B

Now back to chickens, the chicken tax.

Speaker B

That's why we included that picture.

Speaker B

We, we dove into the backstory of the chicken tax.

Speaker B

I mean, there's a reason that chicken there is driving that pickup truck.

Speaker B

Limes.

Speaker B

Hey, did you know that Mexico supplies about 92% of all the limes coming into the U.S.

Speaker B

so with the pending increases on tariffs, the prices could as much as double, making those margaritas everywhere a whole bunch more expensive.

Speaker B

We feature some perspective from Will Quinn, AKA the distribution guy who reported on Coach prime, coach Deion Sanders in his session at Promat.

Speaker B

You're gonna find great resources from our friends at Altium and Zebra, and you'll also find a lot more live programming coming up we'd love for you to be a part of.

Speaker B

But Allison, I want to touch on one thing that we dove deep on.

Speaker B

And folks, Trisha's dropping link so you can check out with that said and National Supply Chain Day in the comments.

Speaker B

But there's a great article from NPR that gave examples of how companies have been working for years, decades to get around tariffs forever.

Speaker B

Companies have turned to tariff engineering, reclassification and recategorization of the products.

Speaker B

For example, Marvel persuaded the US Government back in the day that it's X Men action figures were, quote, non human toys rather than dolls, which allowed them to reduce the tariff rate almost in half.

Speaker B

Hey, the Snuggie.

Speaker B

You know what the Snuggie is?

Speaker B

Well, there was lots of costly debate as to whether it was a blanket or a garment.

Speaker B

In fact, the U.

Speaker B

S.

Speaker B

Court of International Trade ruled that it was a blanket in 2017, which lowered its tariff over 6%, which are serious things, cost millions of dollars.

Speaker B

And then, did you know Columbia Sportswear added pockets below the waistline of some of its women's shirts, all to help ensure that the products do not get categorized as blouses, which in turn saves them some 10% in tariff rates.

Speaker C

And Scott, let me just say, as a woman that loves pockets, pockets should have been there all along.

Speaker B

You know, Alison, in particular, I hear that at trade shows, right, where you're kind of in one set of clothing all day.

Speaker B

Oh, man, a lot of women have come and Said I wore something without pockets and it drives them crazy.

Speaker C

I mean, pockets.

Speaker C

It's not fair that guys, every single bit of your clothes has pockets.

Speaker C

Do you own a pair of pants without pockets?

Speaker B

That's a great question.

Speaker B

I was not prepared this Monday morning to answer that, but I'm gonna say no.

Speaker B

I really, I love pockets.

Speaker C

Okay, well, I bet you that there are far more women that own pants with no pockets than there are.

Speaker B

I think that's a safe bet.

Speaker B

But in a broader sense, we've lived in tariff purgatory for weeks now.

Speaker B

Right.

Speaker B

And I think it's so important to understand vi history, like the chicken tax, which was put back in the 60s and wasn't meant to be permanent.

Speaker B

I think it's so important that we seek out that historical perspective right now as we try to better understand the landscape and how to find a successful path forward.

Speaker B

We're going to touch on that in just a second.

Speaker B

Allison, before we leave, anything else stick out to you from this edition of with that said, just that you hit.

Speaker C

On a couple of things.

Speaker C

Not just that chicken tax, but there are certain pieces, I think, whether it's taxes or whether it's tariffs or.

Speaker C

Or just these kind of sneaky little fees.

Speaker B

Yes, that.

Speaker C

It just seems to me like in my industry for a while, there was a fuel tax that some vendors were tacking on when gas got pretty pricey for a little while.

Speaker C

And most vendors took that off as things came down, as fuel came back down, but some of it kept adding it.

Speaker C

And so it's kind of funny to see how some of these tariffs or how some of these taxes are just going to become kind of part of our way of doing things?

Speaker B

So true.

Speaker C

Once people start getting used to paying it, how many of us as consumers are going to speak to sellers and say, okay, well, this is what we're willing to pay?

Speaker B

So true.

Speaker B

There's going to be a sense of normalization and we'll see.

Speaker B

I am not an economist, nor am I an electrician.

Speaker B

And my father in law told me there's two types of electricians, those professionals and morons.

Speaker B

I'll call it.

Speaker B

I'll kind of soften it on this Monday morning.

Speaker B

So don't practice electrician arts at home if you're not a professional.

Speaker B

But to your point, there is going to be some normalization.

Speaker B

You know, clearly so many of us thought that the threats of all these tariffs were going to be not solely, but largely used for negotiation purposes.

Speaker B

And as we're all finding out, that doesn't look to be the case.

Speaker B

So, Allison, your final word.

Speaker B

And then we're going to move on to an easy topic, NCAA's.

Speaker C

Every day is a new, new crazy.

Speaker B

That's right.

Speaker C

I guess it's just always fun.

Speaker B

That's true.

Speaker B

So true.

Speaker B

We're gonna get through it, folks.

Speaker B

Together, we're gonna get through it.

Speaker B

All right, so let's dive in, Allison, to our first story.

Speaker B

And folks, if you don't like tariffs, just tune out for the next ten minutes or so.

Speaker B

But there's some really important developments that we want to tackle here, and we're going to start with automotive tariffs.

Speaker B

So, Alison, I'm going to kind of unpack this interview here from the PBS News and a few others, and I can't wait to get your take.

Speaker B

So as many of y'all out there know, because we got the smartest audience in all of global supply chain, the White house is implementing a 25 tariff, automotive vehicles made outside of the U.S.

Speaker B

which becomes effective this week as in Wednesday, April 2nd.

Speaker B

Now, this interesting interview here from PBS featured Amna Nawaz talking with Gavin Bade, who is a trade and economic policy reporter with the Wall Street Journal.

Speaker B

Now, BAID called this perhaps the biggest disruption for the automotive industry since the North American free trade deal, NAFTA, back in the early 90s.

Speaker B

Now, the White House, Allison, the White House is hoping that many of these tariffs will help bring manufacturing back to the US but at what cost, both in the term and the long term?

Speaker B

That's what a lot of folks out there are wondering.

Speaker B

So I'm going to try here, Allison.

Speaker B

I'm going to try to capture reaction from across the spectrum.

Speaker B

Right.

Speaker B

No matter what your thoughts are, starting with the United Auto Workers released a statement in support of what they said was, quote, a long overdue shift away from a harmful economic framework.

Speaker B

Now, of course, they're hoping this is going to create jobs here in the US over the next couple of years.

Speaker B

But on the other hand, the price of autos for consumers are expected to be impacted, maybe not so much in the short term because a lot of dealers have been accumulating inventory to to be more prepared for the tariff moves.

Speaker B

However, according to data from S and P Global Mobility, trying to say that just one time fast, 46% of cars sold in the US last year could be subject to these new tariffs, 46%.

Speaker B

So from an automotive supply chain professional standpoint, Allison, large degree of uncertainty doesn't even need to be said.

Speaker B

For example, automakers are expected to ask for a tidal wave of exemptions especially for vehicles assembled in Canada and Mexico or for parts that come in from our friends there.

Speaker B

The White House is expected to finalize its tariff schedule on the parts, right, not the whole vehicles, but the parts themselves, millions between now and May 3rd.

Speaker B

So there's still a lot more to come and a lot more to be figured out.

Speaker B

And we all know that uncertainty can be paralyzing.

Speaker B

One last thought, because all of this new complexity has no end in sight.

Speaker B

Steel and aluminum tariffs are set to take effect this week, too, and there are plans to add new tariffs to add more products in the coming weeks and months.

Speaker B

I'm talking pharmaceutical products and microchips.

Speaker B

Those are said to be two of the sectors being targeted.

Speaker B

So, Allison, whether you want me to ask you or not, I'm going to ask you for your take on what we're seeing here, what we may see here, or just your thoughts here.

Speaker C

ALISON well, first off, I found it interesting.

Speaker C

I was seeing a lot in a few articles about how some automakers had front loaded a bunch of inventory and they kind of saw the threat of some tariffs.

Speaker C

And so they had tried to put a bunch on their lot ahead of time, especially in really as early as what, November?

Speaker C

December.

Speaker C

Which to me was fascinating because typically December you're trying to get rid of inventory for tax reasons, but they had front loaded a bunch and they sat on things.

Speaker C

But as recently as a couple weeks ago, I was driving through my local Toyota dealership for an oil change and the parking lot was half empty, which I found kind of interesting.

Speaker C

And I don't know if it was just poor timing on my part or what, but I think it's going to be really interesting.

Speaker C

And I don't know that we're really going to truly get a full picture of effects and connecting dots until maybe decades later, because there's so many things that are happening that I don't know that you're going to feel immediate impacts.

Speaker C

You know, there's things that are going to take time and almost as if the conversation with the union talking about how we're looking forward to, you know, more manufacturing here at home and here in the US and yes, that's great.

Speaker C

You know, obviously more jobs, local, terrific.

Speaker C

But that's not something you can just snap your fingers and turn on tomorrow.

Speaker C

It's not like everybody's going to have jobs in the next four weeks.

Speaker C

It's not like everything's going to be made in America in the next three months.

Speaker C

So I don't know.

Speaker C

I mean, I'd love to be hopeful on this kind of thing, I'm just kind of hesitant that a lot of this stuff, There are going to be a lot of rough days ahead as kind of my projection.

Speaker B

Yeah, I'm with you.

Speaker B

If we had a magic wand and if unicorns and puppies and all that, all that stuff, if we just knew exactly what we were facing.

Speaker B

Right.

Speaker B

No matter the complexity, if we knew it.

Speaker B

Right.

Speaker B

Going back to whoever the smart person said, a problem well defined is a problem half solved.

Speaker B

The greater challenge that I'm finding as ripple after ripple, sooner than some expected, later than some expected, as it keeps going out across the global supply chain, pond, so to speak, we're still figuring out what the precise challenge is going to be.

Speaker B

Much less different sectors, different geographic locations, uncertain future tariff actions.

Speaker B

I mean, this is a perfect storm in many ways, but we're going to work through it.

Speaker B

We're going to unpack it day by day.

Speaker B

Right, Allison, that only thing we can do right now other than, yeah, you.

Speaker C

Don'T have another choice.

Speaker B

That's right.

Speaker C

What's the other option?

Speaker C

Right.

Speaker B

Gosh.

Speaker B

But to that end, and let's say David, now David's a friend from Toronto, says the bait and switch is unreal.

Speaker B

So much arguing over HS codes and classifications.

Speaker B

It's been an everyday adventure.

Speaker B

That's right, David.

Speaker B

Sure has.

Speaker B

I've said this a lot in recent shows, but one retail CEO called it rules of the moment.

Speaker B

Right.

Speaker B

And it's so true.

Speaker B

It is so true.

Speaker B

Let's see here.

Speaker B

Claudia says, hey, there's the idea of design for sustainability and this concept of design for tariffs compliance.

Speaker B

Very unique, Claudia.

Speaker B

That's right.

Speaker B

And you know what?

Speaker B

It will become lesser and lesser, unique and much more commonplace probably in the months and years ahead.

Speaker B

Okay, so stay tuned, folks.

Speaker B

We're dropping a link to that story, the PBS news story.

Speaker B

You'll enjoy that interview, the transcript.

Speaker B

You also can watch it as well.

Speaker B

All right, Allison.

Speaker B

We are going to move from tariffs to steel.

Speaker B

Steel.

Speaker B

And you know what?

Speaker B

It's all interrelated, right?

Speaker B

It's all interrelated.

Speaker B

British steel in particular.

Speaker B

So as reported by Reuters, British Steel, which is owned by China, is looking at closing its two blast furnaces in northeast England.

Speaker B

Not only would that come at a cost of some 2700 jobs, sadly, but it would make the United Kingdom the only country in the G7 that doesn't produce steel from scratch.

Speaker B

How about that?

Speaker B

The operations have been losing money for reportedly years.

Speaker B

I think one figure I saw is they're losing close to US$1 million every day, Allison.

Speaker B

And of course, new US tariffs aren't going to help that at all.

Speaker B

British Steel has been in talks with the UK government for months looking at a variety of options that hasn't led to a remedy yet.

Speaker B

So they're looking at a shutdown plan.

Speaker B

The earliest of a potential closure for these facilities we're talking about would be June.

Speaker B

So we've got a bit of a window here.

Speaker B

The United Kingdom was the world's biggest steel producer in the 19th century.

Speaker B

Man, how the market industry has shifted.

Speaker B

The country is now looking to shift its production processes to leverage less carbon intensive electric arc furnaces which make new steel from recycled steel.

Speaker B

How about that?

Speaker B

That will be driven in part by 2.5 billion pounds of earmarked funds from the UK government, which is supposed to be releasing its plans for its domestic steel sector in the next month or two.

Speaker B

One last thought.

Speaker B

And Allison, I'm not going to pronounce this word right.

Speaker B

It's not stop me from trying.

Speaker B

Nippon Steel, right, The Japanese company and U.S.

Speaker B

steel are still trying to salvage their $14 billion merger.

Speaker B

Now, according to Semaphore and folks, if you have been checking out the great content Semaphore has been putting out there, add it to your list.

Speaker B

But according to Semaphore, they are negotiating with the White House, who is supposedly seeking billions of dollars of investment in outdated US Manufacturing sites like Rust Belt, as well as more clarity on the impact of any possible merger.

Speaker B

All right, Alison, back on this British Steel story here, your thoughts?

Speaker C

Yeah, this is sad.

Speaker C

I've got a bunch of friends in the UK and I know how hard they've been working to really push and really to just to support UK manufacturing.

Speaker C

And I know this has got to be a blow.

Speaker C

This is one of those, I think that it's really going to be.

Speaker C

We're going to see the play with domestic steel here at home.

Speaker C

We're going to see those interwoven pieces of the supply chain.

Speaker C

In general, in the aerospace market, we have to pay attention to domestic material and we have to pay attention to where we're getting material.

Speaker C

And it's not just about US material.

Speaker C

But if everybody is paying more attention to where they're getting material based on tariffs, then that just means that the demand for that local material is going to go up and so is the price.

Speaker C

So all it takes is now the supply for the material elsewhere and your supply for your choices to go down and you've got kind of a compounded problem.

Speaker C

And this is going to be really interesting.

Speaker C

I know that Nippon Steel, I guess for a long time there was question as to whether or not the US Administration was going to allow for an investment or not.

Speaker C

And I guess now we are going to allow for a little bit of an investment for a few reasons.

Speaker C

And so I think that kind of overcomplication with more of international fingers or cooks in the kitchen, so to speak, that's going to be interesting.

Speaker C

And I think from an aerospace manufacturer perspective, it's going to be fascinating to see how that's kind of allowed, because those are really big pieces of the market and those are big pieces of the supply chain.

Speaker C

You can't just all of a sudden say, okay, now that, you know, British steel is no longer an option, or, hey, now that these people are now owned by countries that were no longer on this list or are on this list, you can make F35 parts out of this material.

Speaker C

This is going to be a wild ride.

Speaker B

It's so true, Alison.

Speaker B

It's so true.

Speaker B

You know, your comments reminded me of my time in metal stamping, where I was introduced to the very complex world of metallurgy.

Speaker B

And folks, I can barely spell metallurgy, much less.

Speaker B

But all kidding aside, to be able to validate and audit all the different types of metals and steels and certify it, all the different suppliers, I mean, very complex, to Allison's point of, you know, the maker of the F35, which is.

Speaker B

Was it Boeing or is it.

Speaker C

It's Lockheed and Northrop, are kind of partnering on pieces of it.

Speaker B

So when they are calling for a certain type of components made out of a certain type of metal, or you name it, you've got to be able to authenticate that.

Speaker B

And when these big industry shifts start taking place and you move to making and manufacturing from different facilities with different, you know, dynamics at each, you know, based on where they are or who's running it or, you name it the day of the week, things get shaky in a hurry.

Speaker B

Now, Alice, I'm gonna ask you another question.

Speaker B

This image here, now this is not from British Steel, but you'll see that big old.

Speaker C

A smelter, maybe something like that.

Speaker C

Furnace.

Speaker C

Yeah.

Speaker B

Have you ever been to a still foundry, Allison?

Speaker C

No.

Speaker C

And it's funny.

Speaker C

I've actually tried to figure out how to get a tour at one or two when the opportunity kind of came up.

Speaker C

I've never been able to.

Speaker B

Okay.

Speaker B

I have been exactly one time.

Speaker B

And I'd love to get back.

Speaker B

Love to take my kids, in fact.

Speaker B

What the work that out.

Speaker B

It was here in Georgia.

Speaker B

It was up in the Rome area.

Speaker B

And I'm not sure.

Speaker C

Okay.

Speaker B

Big old facility, not sure if it's still here or not.

Speaker B

This was probably 10, 12, 14 years ago anyway.

Speaker B

I mean, you got molten steel going across on the gantry cranes and stuff, and all these loud sounds and smells.

Speaker B

I mean, I needed a marble red and a Budweiser fully loaded to the end of it.

Speaker B

It is that type of.

Speaker B

You know, I've been in and out more than 300 plants, facilities in my lifetime, and that by far, even some of the car plants I've been in wasn't nearly as, I'll call it, intimidating as a still foundry.

Speaker B

So, Allison, we're going to have to get in.

Speaker B

We're going to have to check, see if that foundry is still around.

Speaker B

And I know you've been in and out of probably a thousand facilities in your journey.

Speaker B

Huh?

Speaker C

I don't know.

Speaker C

About a thousand.

Speaker C

Probably half as many as maybe a third of yours.

Speaker C

Maybe 50 or 100.

Speaker C

Yeah.

Speaker C

Not.

Speaker C

Not nearly.

Speaker B

We're going to get Arthur Anderson, if they're still around, to audit.

Speaker B

I bet you're laughing me a couple of times.

Speaker B

But regardless, folks, if you get a chance to tour any plant, but especially a foundry, check it out.

Speaker B

Okay?

Speaker B

So we're going to keep our feet on the pulse of what's going on with British Steel.

Speaker B

And gosh, I certainly hope all those families behind those 2700 jobs hope there's a plan to salvage the current operations.

Speaker C

It's tough.

Speaker C

Like I said, it's heartbreaking, too, because there's a need for these types of pieces of the puzzle and manufacturing and that step.

Speaker C

And then there's the steps of the afterma manufacturing process, like the finishes, the chemical finishes.

Speaker C

Those are two types of things in manufacturing that you can't really make pretty.

Speaker C

You know, you can't make glamorous manufacturing.

Speaker C

You can clean up.

Speaker C

You can talk about 3D printing, and you can talk about how cool it is, but, you know, okay.

Speaker C

Smelting, chemical film.

Speaker C

These are things that they are smelly.

Speaker C

They are to a degree, they are kind of dangerous.

Speaker C

You know, there are things that Yadosha coming in now and then, or more than now and then.

Speaker C

And I just think that those are the things that, workforce development wise, those are the things that are suffering most.

Speaker C

And so when you hear stories like this, you just kind of like you got everything working against you.

Speaker C

It's tough.

Speaker C

I don't know what the future holds for that.

Speaker B

Me nor you both.

Speaker B

But speaking of workforce, folks, stay tuned.

Speaker B

We had a wonderful session edition of our new series called the Bridge last week it was fascinating.

Speaker B

So check out that On Demand, one of our future sessions, I think we're scheduled for May.

Speaker B

Allison.

Speaker B

We've got a couple of experts along with Allison to talk workforce management both now and in the future, including some innovative best practices that organizations, unique organizations and unique leaders are doing.

Speaker B

So stay tuned for that.

Speaker B

Okay?

Speaker B

David says it's dirty casting sand up to your knees.

Speaker B

One last comment about this foundry experience, Allison.

Speaker B

So as we spent an hour or more walking away through this massive, highly industrial facility, right.

Speaker B

I mean, my eyes were just on a swivel.

Speaker B

I was just trying to take it all in.

Speaker B

And as I mentioned, it was really intimidating.

Speaker B

But I was trying to act like, oh yeah, I've been here before, you know.

Speaker B

Well, we get to a certain point and I'm watching, it's like an observation deck watching, I guess a crucible being poured, right?

Speaker B

And it's, it's straight out of a movie scene, right?

Speaker B

And all of a sudden a loud air horn comes over right over my right shoulder and a whoosh of air down my neck and I thought I was a goner.

Speaker B

It was all I could do to fight every urge from jumping right out of my socks.

Speaker B

Right?

Speaker B

Especially around all those, all those folks.

Speaker B

So boundaries, folks.

Speaker B

I'm telling you what.

Speaker B

All right, let's see here.

Speaker B

We're going to move over to a lighter topic.

Speaker B

Lighter topic.

Speaker B

I love talking about retail and I think it's mainly because, Allison, we talk about it and have done it in many cases on the supply chain side.

Speaker B

But we're all consumers of retail and it gives you that extra layer to learn from.

Speaker B

So this third story here.

Speaker B

Today, retail behemoths continue to invest in the golden age of supply chain tech.

Speaker B

Interesting read here from our friends at Modern Retail.

Speaker B

Now, fast, reliable delivery is still atop the list, the wish list rather, for many consumers everywhere.

Speaker B

In fact, get this.

Speaker B

Walmart CEO Doug McMillan recently said that he wished more consumers knew about their increasing delivery speed.

Speaker B

They're not stopping.

Speaker B

In fourth quarter 2024, Walmart expanded its same day delivery to reach 93% of U.S.

Speaker B

households.

Speaker B

Same day delivery to 93% of all U.S.

Speaker B

households.

Speaker B

And get this, that's a massive improvement over the 80% of US households it was just about a year prior.

Speaker B

Now Target and others are also engaging in the same day delivery arms race.

Speaker B

How are these retailers making gains?

Speaker B

Well, a mixture of old new things they're investing in things like data management and analytics.

Speaker B

Innovative demand forecasting never is easy.

Speaker B

Making artificial intelligence investments that target improving pickup and delivery options at stores and improved inventory reliability that eliminates more of those pesky stockouts.

Speaker B

They're also expanding the use of RFID to improve fulfillment speeds.

Speaker B

As most y'all know out there, a lot more automated facilities, a lot more urban fulfillment facilities, and leveraging machine learning and other technologies to share more accurate delivery updates to customers.

Speaker B

Talk about customer experience.

Speaker B

Some retailers are just outsourcing delivery entirely and letting their partners figure it out.

Speaker B

But Alison, here's my favorite passage from this article amidst what I would call the race to the bottom when it comes to deliver speeds that I feel like we're kind of in that race.

Speaker B

Tom Enright, a retail supply chain analyst with Gartner, said that three to five years ago, all the retailers were racing to keep up with Amazon and that proverbial Amazon effect.

Speaker B

But since then, some organizations have learned that customers actually don't mind waiting.

Speaker B

Sounds weird to say, but hey, experts, that's what they're saying.

Speaker B

Enright says that 70% of e commerce spending, 70% is spent by folks who wait more than three days for shipping.

Speaker B

Now, it doesn't mean that they quote unquot happy weight, but I'll take a quote unquote willing weight.

Speaker B

Small wins, right?

Speaker B

Small wins.

Speaker B

One last thought.

Speaker B

I've talked about this countless times, Alison, probably with you sometimes.

Speaker B

I love the greener shipping options that Amazon has rolled out in the last couple years and would love to see more and more retailers and E commerce players do the same.

Speaker B

Because as Tom Enright suggests, that undercurrent of folks that are okay with waiting a week for a pair of socks that they may not need until it gets cold again.

Speaker B

But Allison, your thoughts on what these retail behemoths are doing?

Speaker C

Yeah, I can see that too.

Speaker C

I've noticed the same.

Speaker C

And I'm with you on the waiting.

Speaker C

There are very few things that like I need yesterday.

Speaker C

But it's funny, the stuff that I need yesterday, like I really do, I need yesterday.

Speaker C

But that kind of stuff I really do need to justify just walking into the stupid store and buying it.

Speaker C

You know what I mean?

Speaker B

I do.

Speaker C

Right.

Speaker C

But I mean things like the other day my husband really needed to buy something for work and needed to buy something and be at work the next morning.

Speaker B

Yep.

Speaker C

But he had worked a very, very long day and so he justified being able to order from Amazon and do next day delivery between 4 and 7am so then he wouldn't have to wake up earlier to go to the store.

Speaker C

So it saved, you know, he was able to sleep an extra hour.

Speaker C

So that was nice.

Speaker C

So those kinds of things are convenient.

Speaker C

But I'm with you.

Speaker C

There are plenty of times throughout the week that I'm like, oh, I need vitamins, or, oh, I need this.

Speaker C

I don't need it today.

Speaker C

But if I can choose, okay, everything just be delivered on that one day a week for Amazon's, you know, save a box and whatever.

Speaker C

It just makes my life easier because admittedly, my laziness.

Speaker C

Then it's one less thing I have to pick up from the front porch.

Speaker C

Or it's also one less thing that the delivery person can leave out in the rain, you know, so those kinds of things.

Speaker C

But no, I've noticed with other delivery people or other companies as well, it does feel like they're trying to keep up with the Joneses in a way.

Speaker C

Does feel like I ordered a shirt the other day and within two days it was there.

Speaker C

I'm like, I didn't pay for quicker shipping.

Speaker C

I didn't need this that quickly.

Speaker C

But thanks.

Speaker B

Given those examples and you know, it's difficult to draw highly generalized learnings when all of us have different preferences, different needs.

Speaker B

All orders aren't alike.

Speaker B

Right?

Speaker B

But I'm going to take a pulse check out there.

Speaker B

So, folks, Joshua, Tricia, Claudia.

Speaker C

Hey.

Speaker B

I see my mom.

Speaker B

Leah Luton.

Speaker B

Your mom's here.

Speaker B

My mom's here.

Speaker B

How about that?

Speaker C

Now we know we have to.

Speaker C

We have to be on our best behavior, right?

Speaker B

We need to have a summit, a summit of the moms.

Speaker B

Here's what I want to take a pulse check on.

Speaker B

Do you find yourself as the E Commerce age has continued to evolve because we've been ordering online now for what, 10, 10 years?

Speaker B

Maybe 12 years, maybe 20 years.

Speaker B

I can't keep count.

Speaker B

But do you find yourself tend to be more willing to wait and less in a rush, generally speaking, or are you kind of on the other side of the coin where you're going to get it as fast as they're going to get it, especially if it's free each and every time, no matter when you need it.

Speaker B

I'd love for you all to weigh in.

Speaker B

And let's maybe let's call that on a scale of 1 to 10, number 1 being give it to me next hour, or number 10 being, hey, order ahead of time.

Speaker B

I'm okay waiting a little bit.

Speaker B

And when it comes, I forgot what I ordered anyway, so 1 to 10, let us know what you think.

Speaker B

And you know, Allison, you're laughing because you've done that.

Speaker B

I know.

Speaker B

I'VE done that.

Speaker C

Yeah.

Speaker C

Oh, there are plenty of times.

Speaker C

Matt will pick something.

Speaker C

What'd you order?

Speaker C

I don't know.

Speaker B

All right, so Amanda's already weighing in.

Speaker B

I should have expected this.

Speaker B

I want my orders as quickly as they can get them to me.

Speaker B

As long as it's free.

Speaker B

That probably is going to be the plurality, if not the majority of folks out there.

Speaker B

Allison, do you think that's a safe bet?

Speaker C

Yeah, probably.

Speaker C

Well, it's an instant gratification thing, too.

Speaker C

I think it just speaks to us just as a population too, you know, I mean, it's.

Speaker C

We're all.

Speaker C

Myself included.

Speaker C

I have no patience.

Speaker B

Yes.

Speaker B

Let's see.

Speaker B

We're getting our first number.

Speaker B

Jim says he's a three.

Speaker B

Okay, I bet that is probably.

Speaker B

I would have figured both folks are one to five.

Speaker B

You know, I'm not sure how many tens or nines or eights you know, they're gonna be, but Jim's being fair.

Speaker B

He's about a three.

Speaker B

My mom, Leah Luton, the product, Aiken, South Carolina, says, I'm spoiled.

Speaker B

I want it now.

Speaker B

So Leah and Amanda, same bucket.

Speaker B

And David's asking, why start now?

Speaker B

Alice?

Speaker C

See?

Speaker C

See, he's right.

Speaker C

He's right.

Speaker B

Oh, my sense of time.

Speaker B

You know, I've just read an article, can't remember where it was.

Speaker B

It was in a European magazine over the weekend about how depending on what you're going through in life, we have different perceptions of the passage of time.

Speaker B

Right.

Speaker B

And clearly mine, I'm having a less accurate version of the passage of time because Claudia Sundays, according to A.I.

Speaker B

at least, the first documented secure online e commerce Transact occurred on August 11, 1994.

Speaker B

How about that?

Speaker B

And the item was Dan cone sold a CD compact disc.

Speaker B

For those of you may be new to that of stings, 10 summoners, tales to a friend for $12.48 plus shipping.

Speaker B

How about that, Claudia?

Speaker B

Excellent.

Speaker B

John Bell says he's a six.

Speaker B

Hey, it's the first time someone over.

Speaker B

I like that.

Speaker B

I bet I'm a six.

Speaker B

Or seven.

Speaker C

John, teach me your ways.

Speaker C

Yeah.

Speaker B

Jim says that three means just in time.

Speaker C

Okay, I see what he did there.

Speaker C

All right.

Speaker B

David says the novelty of instant delivery has wore off.

Speaker B

He's a three.

Speaker C

Yeah.

Speaker B

All right.

Speaker B

And finally, Amanda, I've been ordering online since I was in college in the early 2000s.

Speaker B

Lots of eBay.

Speaker B

How about that?

Speaker B

Okay.

Speaker B

A lot of.

Speaker B

Hey, I think e commerce and retail and supply chain, that intersection is.

Speaker B

Is one of the most fascinating parts of all of global business.

Speaker C

I just think about how rich I would be if it weren't for Amazon.

Speaker B

Oh, gosh.

Speaker B

You'd be like Scrooge, my duck diving in his coins, huh?

Speaker C

I have so much money.

Speaker C

Oh, my gosh.

Speaker B

Well, let's talk about another timely topic, Allison.

Speaker B

I want to talk about this interesting story via food manufacturing, and it may not be a true Easter egg hunt, but the USDA, the U.S.

Speaker B

department of Agriculture, is on a massive egg hunt.

Speaker B

In fact, the USDA has countries such as Germany, Italy, Poland, and Sweden in a search for more egg imports to help with egg supply and prices.

Speaker B

Here in the U.S.

Speaker B

some industry experts say.

Speaker B

See what I did there, Allison?

Speaker B

See what did there.

Speaker B

Some industries say there's a shortage of, get this, 50 million eggs a day here in the States.

Speaker B

That number is a lot bigger than I would anticipate.

Speaker B

However, one specific challenge exists that may need a workaround.

Speaker B

They will need a workaround.

Speaker B

No, we're not talking about the avian flu outbreaks that comes.

Speaker B

This comes in cycles, right?

Speaker B

There's still.

Speaker B

It's impacting a lot more countries than just the US and no, I'm not talking about the surge in demand.

Speaker B

With the Easter holiday around the corner, everybody's going to be dying those Easter eggs or making deviled eggs.

Speaker B

I'm talking about safety standards.

Speaker B

So this article speaks to this.

Speaker B

In the U.S.

Speaker B

regulations require that fresh eggs be sanitized and refrigerated before they're able to be purchased in stores.

Speaker B

In Europe, EU regulations call for grade 8 eggs to be UNW and without refrigeration.

Speaker B

In fact, in most of the 27 EU member nations, eggs go uncleaned because of concerns that any washing may remove the natural protective coatings that eggshells have, making the eggs more vulnerable to bacteria.

Speaker B

All right, Allison, your thoughts on the great egg hunt, man.

Speaker C

So I had Waffle House this weekend, okay.

Speaker C

And I had scrambled eggs.

Speaker B

Eggs.

Speaker C

And about halfway through my scrambled eggs, I was full.

Speaker C

I was done.

Speaker C

And I felt guilty for not eating the rest of my eggs because I thought there is a starving child somewhere out there in.

Speaker C

Somewhere probably in the US that wishes that they had these scrambled eggs.

Speaker B

You know what?

Speaker B

I am glad you feel guilty.

Speaker B

Was it two eggs?

Speaker C

It was two eggs, Allison.

Speaker C

Two eggs.

Speaker C

Toast and hash browns.

Speaker C

And I was full.

Speaker B

Two eggs is like three spoonfuls you could not finish.

Speaker C

I'm sorry.

Speaker C

Well, it was also three pieces of bacon, and I.

Speaker C

Two of the prisons.

Speaker B

Guilty as charged.

Speaker B

I get that now.

Speaker B

I get that.

Speaker C

Right?

Speaker B

So what do you think?

Speaker B

That 50 million shortage of eggs per day that just.

Speaker B

That Seems way too high.

Speaker C

That's stuff's got to go into thing.

Speaker C

Like, I don't think it's just flat out people buying eggs to do.

Speaker C

I think those eggs are going into things.

Speaker C

If you think about, I mean, fresh eggs to make baked goods.

Speaker B

Right.

Speaker C

You know, if you think about all those kinds of.

Speaker C

But I do find it really interesting, the whole.

Speaker C

The safety pieces, because I've got.

Speaker C

Got friends of mine who raise chickens and I've had fresh eggs from them before and they've told me, you know, they've given me eggs in cartons and they're like, don't put these in the refrigerator.

Speaker C

Don't wash these eggs.

Speaker B

Right.

Speaker C

And I listen to them.

Speaker C

I do.

Speaker C

And knock on wood.

Speaker C

I'm still here.

Speaker C

I mean, I, you know, I'm okay.

Speaker C

I've not gotten sick.

Speaker C

But, you know, do I want the US to change their safety standards?

Speaker C

I don't know.

Speaker C

I don't think so.

Speaker C

I do.

Speaker B

I'm kind of with you.

Speaker B

You know, when we go to the farmers market and I didn't really think about this until you just shared that.

Speaker B

Love the farmer's market.

Speaker B

As many of our folks out there know.

Speaker B

I love the farmer's market.

Speaker B

It's coming on in the next.

Speaker B

We get eggs.

Speaker B

Amanda leaves them on the counter because since they're farmers eggs, they can last longer like that.

Speaker B

And I guess probably also to that safety component.

Speaker B

I don't know, something about eggs that makes me like extra particular about temperatures and all that stuff.

Speaker B

Are you the same way, Allison?

Speaker C

Oh, yeah.

Speaker C

There's.

Speaker C

I'm not gonna gross anyone out on a bad experience I had in 2018.

Speaker C

It's a long story.

Speaker C

No.

Speaker C

But I did see a funny little short on somebody painting an avocado, joking and saying that because eggs were so expensive this year, they would be painting avocados.

Speaker B

But avocados are going to be going up, too.

Speaker C

Exactly.

Speaker C

But I think that was kind of.

Speaker B

The joke, is that, oh, I'm a little slow sometimes.

Speaker B

I got you now.

Speaker C

Okay.

Speaker B

But you know, you walk through the produce section and just about everything you set your eyes on.

Speaker B

We're going to be seeing price increases here in the States, right?

Speaker C

Yep.

Speaker B

Let me ask you this on the topic of eggs.

Speaker B

And hey, here's another question to our audience out there.

Speaker B

I'm curious whether it's for Easter or any other family get together.

Speaker B

Deviled eggs, do you love them?

Speaker B

Let's call it a 10, right?

Speaker B

You love them.

Speaker B

Can't get enough of them.

Speaker B

Would eat them every day.

Speaker B

Or are you A1, because you're not a big fan of deviled eggs.

Speaker B

Now, Allison, Amanda's probably a 10.

Speaker B

I'm probably like a four.

Speaker B

I like one or two.

Speaker B

I gotta have hot sauce on them because I don't like them plain.

Speaker B

It's a little too eggy for me.

Speaker B

How about yourself?

Speaker C

Probably a five or six.

Speaker C

Like I'll have one.

Speaker B

Okay.

Speaker C

It's got to be really cold.

Speaker C

Like they've got to be really cold.

Speaker B

Yes.

Speaker C

Don't have them sitting out for.

Speaker B

Yeah, same.

Speaker B

Amanda says I've seen a bunch of egg substitutes for dying eggs this year since they're so expensive.

Speaker B

Artificial eggs, fabric eggs, etc instead of hard boiled eggs for coloring with the kids.

Speaker B

Our kids are, you know, middle school, high school.

Speaker B

I'm not sure how.

Speaker B

How cool dying eggs are anymore.

Speaker B

We shall see.

Speaker C

I still dye eggs with my mom.

Speaker B

Really?

Speaker C

Heck yeah, I do.

Speaker B

I feel like I hadn't died an egg in 40 years.

Speaker B

I could be wrong.

Speaker C

I don't think we did last year because of schedule craziness, but we have plenty of times.

Speaker C

And in fact, we like the ones where you take the wax crayon and you write secret messages to each other.

Speaker B

Yeah, those are good.

Speaker B

That was cool back in the day.

Speaker B

Let's see.

Speaker B

Trisha says 1.

Speaker B

No deviled eggs for Trisha.

Speaker B

That's where I was kind of growing up, Trisha.

Speaker B

I was not a big.

Speaker B

A big deviled egg fan.

Speaker B

I've softened a bit here.

Speaker B

Claudia says a 10, so her and Amanda best buddies.

Speaker B

Because Amanda loves deviled eggs too.

Speaker B

I get this.

Speaker B

Jim says an 8.

Speaker B

I would date deviled eggs.

Speaker C

All right, Jim, this is a judgment free zone.

Speaker B

That's right.

Speaker B

Judgment free.

Speaker B

Jim says he's an 8.

Speaker B

I would date deviled eggs if society didn't judge me and my lifestyle choices.

Speaker B

I love that.

Speaker B

Jim.

Speaker C

This is terrible.

Speaker B

All right, so back on the supply chain, adult side, the one and only Korai Kozay.

Speaker B

Folks, before I read this comment here, if you're not following Karaz blog articles, I'm talking it.

Speaker B

You know, folks talk about keeping it real.

Speaker B

Korai brings it each and every time.

Speaker B

Korai, you need to drop the link to one of your latest ones in the comments so I can share that.

Speaker B

But great to see my friend.

Speaker B

Karakosa says egg resilience.

Speaker B

Europe's decentralized egg production softens the impact of avian flu.

Speaker B

Unlike the US where concentrated farms worsen shortages.

Speaker B

Back to supply chain resilience.

Speaker B

Excellent comment there, Korai.

Speaker B

Great to see you, my friend.

Speaker B

All right, we've got one More really important thing to get to.

Speaker B

So we're going to cut out all the egg.

Speaker B

Fun.

Speaker B

Allison, you know I'm a huge fan, huge fan of the Dave Creati Foundation.

Speaker B

I love the work you are doing.

Speaker B

So I got a two part question for you.

Speaker B

For any of our new audience listeners and watchers that weren't with us, one of your previous appearances where we talked about it, would you tell us what y'all do at the Dave Kreche Foundation?

Speaker B

And secondly, how can folks jump in and help support the mission?

Speaker C

Absolutely.

Speaker C

Thanks so much and we really appreciate your tremendous support.

Speaker C

So the Dave Krehy foundation helps kids play sports when their families cannot afford it.

Speaker C

We're focused in the metro Atlanta area.

Speaker C

We're starting to see lots of other nonprofits like us pop up all over the place.

Speaker C

So we're really excited to see that and we encourage others all over the country to copy us and pop up all over the country.

Speaker C

There needs to be US's all over the country.

Speaker C

So please look at our website, copy things and go do your thing.

Speaker C

But yeah, we've helped over 1800 kids.

Speaker C

We help pay the registration fees so that they can stay on the court, stay on the field and we appreciate your support.

Speaker C

Supply chains now support Scott Luton, Amanda, y'all support and they can connect with us on LinkedIn through the website.

Speaker C

Love to see you.

Speaker C

Love to.

Speaker C

You know, we've got a couple of fundraisers local to Marietta area and the Atlanta area coming up.

Speaker C

We've got a pickleball tournament coming up.

Speaker C

Date change might be happening so I'm not going to share that just yet.

Speaker C

But we've got a wine market fundraiser coming up on derby day.

Speaker C

So lots of little things but we'd love to see anybody around.

Speaker B

I love that the mission is so beautifully geared towards practical, powerful outcomes.

Speaker B

And you know, simplicity is a great thing.

Speaker B

So I mean, this is a comment, but the simplicity of yalls mission problem meat solution and it's for the kids.

Speaker B

Over 1800 kids have been enabled to get the equipment they need or the fees picked up because gosh, y'all parents out there or anyone should know these organizational fees, the activity fees, the, you know, medical fees.

Speaker B

Oh, to play sports.

Speaker B

It's just, it's expensive.

Speaker B

So the Dave Kreche Foundation.

Speaker B

I'm gonna call out the website folks.

Speaker B

The davecrace.com.

Speaker B

right, right.

Speaker C

Yep.

Speaker B

You got it, Dave.

Speaker B

D A V E Krechy K-R-A C-H-E.com it's just that easy.

Speaker B

And going back to Your other comment, Allison, this is a huge opportunity we had.

Speaker B

Rebecca from Tel Aviv.

Speaker B

Well, my point is we got folks from all around the country and all around the world tuned in with us here, man.

Speaker B

Start a local chapter, local organization, doing this in your own neck of the woods.

Speaker B

And Allison, I'm putting you on the spot, but it kind of put you on the spot.

Speaker B

If folks wanted to call you, reach out, pick your brain a bit, get some best practices of how they can do a similar mission in their own neck of the woods, would you be open to that?

Speaker C

Well, to be honest with you, everything is really transparent on our website, so you're welcome to email me.

Speaker C

But to be quite honest, with as crazy busy as I am, I would love to respond, and I probably will, but you're going to get a lot better, quicker responses.

Speaker C

Just stealing stuff off our website.

Speaker C

I hate to say it, but please, I would love for people to take stuff off our website.

Speaker C

We've got our application there, so you can kind of see how we operate.

Speaker C

We've got our frequently asked questions, so you can kind of start there and see how we operate and get a lot answered there.

Speaker C

But I encourage you, please check it out, copy us and help more kids throughout the country, throughout the world.

Speaker B

Davecrace.com Good stuff.

Speaker B

Okay.

Speaker B

What an outstanding edition of the Buzz.

Speaker B

Alison, we have a blast each and every time you come back and join us.

Speaker B

I love your perspective.

Speaker B

Of course, you're leading a manufacturing organization.

Speaker B

You, you're from industry.

Speaker B

You know more about this stuff than a lot of folks out there.

Speaker B

Always learn plenty of stuff here.

Speaker B

Let's see, we're dropping your LinkedIn.

Speaker B

Folks can connect with Allison there.

Speaker B

Claudia's asking a good question.

Speaker B

Who was Dave Gracie?

Speaker C

That would have been helpful for me to tell you.

Speaker B

Yes.

Speaker C

Dave Gracie is my late dad.

Speaker C

He was a sports fanatic.

Speaker C

And when we lost him unexpectedly in 2009, we thought, my mom and my sister and I, we wanted to do something in his honor, in his name.

Speaker C

And we thought, thought, let's do a scholarship.

Speaker C

And then we were like, no, that's not really.

Speaker C

He was a fun guy, so let's do something more fun.

Speaker C

And I was volunteering at the time for a softball, little kid softball team.

Speaker C

And one thing led to the other and we knew that how much he loved sports.

Speaker C

I mean, if it wasn't March Madness, then it was baseball, then it was football, then it was you name it.

Speaker C

So one thing led to the other and thus the Dave Kreche foundation was born.

Speaker B

Love it.

Speaker B

Love the story.

Speaker B

Love the mission, love the outcomes and love that you're willing to share and be transparent so other folks can learn and hopefully do some similar things out there.

Speaker B

All right folks, I hate to wrap, really have enjoyed all of yalls perspective and responses.

Speaker B

I know we couldn't hit everybody's here today, but thank you so much.

Speaker B

If you want to learn more about our Supply Chain now ecosystem, you can find us via that link right there from our friend Trisha, Trisha and Amanda behind the scenes today helping to make production happen.

Speaker B

Big thanks to them.

Speaker B

Big thanks to Allison Giddens with Win Tech Inc.

Speaker B

And the Dave Kreche Foundation.

Speaker B

Allison, thanks for being here.

Speaker C

Thanks so much for having me.

Speaker B

You bet.

Speaker B

Most importantly, big thanks to our smart, savvy global audience, smartest in all of global Supply chain for being here with us and all the great comments and perspectives that y'all shared.

Speaker B

Folks, hope you enjoyed the show as much as I have, or maybe even like half as much.

Speaker B

I'd be really pleased if you enjoyed it half as much as what I enjoyed today.

Speaker B

But we're going to work together.

Speaker B

We're going to find a more successful path forward despite all the friction, the complexity that we have by the container load right now.

Speaker B

We get it.

Speaker B

And you know that's going to take action.

Speaker B

Real action.

Speaker B

Deeds, not words.

Speaker B

And lots of goodwill.

Speaker B

I'm keeping the faith every single hour.

Speaker B

How about you?

Speaker B

So with all that said, on behalf of the entire Supply Chain now team, Scott Luton here challenging you, do good, get forward, be the change that's needed.

Speaker B

And we'll see you next time right back here on Supply Chain Now.

Speaker B

Thanks everybody.

Speaker A

Join the Supply Chain now community.

Speaker A

For more Supply Chain perspectives, news and innovation, check out Supply Chain now date.

Speaker A

Subscribe to Supply chain now on YouTube and follow and listen to Supply Chain now wherever you get your podcasts.