[#88] Supply Chain in Numbers - Aug 16, 2021
Bed Bath & Beyond plans reducing replenishment time, inVia Robotics raises $30M, Maersk acquires an e-com fulfillment company, USPS planning holiday surcharges, Pickrr raises $12M
Welcome to “Supply Chain in Numbers.” This newsletter tracks significant digits from the world of the supply chain. Five prominent numbers are published every Monday. If you have any feedback, please send it to me.
25 days reduction
Bed Bath & Beyond is opening new distribution centers as part of a $300 million push to improve its supply chain and keep shelves stocked as retailers grapple with product shortages. The home-goods chain will partner with logistics specialist Ryder System Inc. to develop a pair of facilities — one in Pennsylvania slated to open later this year and one in California next year. The effort is designed to cut replenishment times at Bed Bath & Beyond and Buybuy BABY stores to 10 days from the current 35. [Bloomberg]
$30 million
Warehouse automation solution provider inVia Robotics has secured a $30 million Series C round. The inVia platform programmatically digitizes every logistics workflow, using AI to continually optimize machines and people, the company states. It includes inVia Logic intelligent software that orchestrates the most efficient movement of goods across a warehouse using proprietary algorithms to efficiently assign and balance tasks. It employs inVia Picker robots, the mobile goods-to-person automation with the highest throughput per person in the industry. [MMH]
95% within 48 hours
Maersk is acquiring an e-commerce fulfillment company, Visible Supply Chain Management, which has a network of nine fulfillment centers in the U.S. The warehouse network is able to reach 75% of land in the U.S. in 24 hours and 95% within 48 hours. Maersk already has 46 warehouses in the U.S. In addition to Visible Supply Chain Management, Maersk also announced it would acquire B2C Europe Holding B.V., a logistics company focused on parcel delivery services in Europe, provided the deal clears regulators. B2C Europe ships 35 million parcels each year. [SC Dive]
25 cents to $5
The U.S. Postal Service plans to charge more for packages shipped during the holidays, including those sent by individuals, to offset the rising cost of deliveries at the busiest time of the year. Proposed fees range from 25 cents for smaller packages to $5 for heavier items traveling longer distances, and are in line with broader industry practices to charge more during the holiday season.These are applicable to most packages shipped domestically between Oct. 3 and Dec. 26, and the fees would apply to both commercial and retail customers. [WSJ]
$12 million
India-based shipping solutions startup Pickrr has raised $12 million in a series B round. The funding will be used to drive product development and expand Pikrr’s network of fulfilment centers across the country. The startup aims to reduce the delivery time for every ecommerce seller from an average of five to six days to a day or two. Pickrr gives real time experience of a virtual courier company. The platform has 99.95% real time updates, with no lags, offering one-click integrations with all platforms like Amazon and Shopify. [Tech in Asia]