RETAIL RESEARCH REPORT
HOW RETAILERS ARE REWIRING SUPPLY CHAINS TO HANDLE RISING COSTS, RISKS AND UNCERTAINTY
Discover how 100 retail supply chain leaders are tackling disruption, risk, and rising costs with smarter routing, diversified suppliers, technology, and logistics partnerships.
RETAIL SUPPLY CHAIN RESILIENCE STARTS WITH ADAPTABILITY
Today's retail supply chains are operating in an environment where disruption is constant. Rising costs, changing trade policies, transportation bottlenecks, labor shortages, and cybersecurity risks have made retail supply chain resilience a strategic priority rather than a competitive advantage. This research examines how leading retailers are strengthening supply chain risk management through dynamic routing, supplier diversification, predictive analytics, inventory management, and trusted logistics partnerships. Benchmark your organization against the latest retail supply chain trends.
KEY FINDINGS FROM THE REPORT
Our research with 100 retail supply chain leaders reveals how organizations are strengthening retail supply chain resilience while navigating disruption.
INSIDE THE REPORT
Explore the trends shaping retail supply chain resilience and where leading organizations are focusing investment.
UNDERSTANDING RETAIL SUPPLY CHAIN DISRUPTION
Learn why disruption has become a permanent operating condition and how retailers are strengthening supply chain risk management to respond to transportation bottlenecks, tariffs, labor shortages, and cybersecurity threats.
DYNAMIC SUPPLY CHAIN ROUTING & SUPPLIER DIVERSIFICATION
Discover how retailers are adapting their retail logistics strategy through smarter routing, inventory management, and supplier diversification to reduce risk and improve flexibility.
Learn why 74% of organizations are adjusting supply chain routing while 80% are diversifying suppliers to address material shortages and changing market conditions.
SUPPLY CHAIN TECHNOLOGY & PREDICTIVE ANALYTICS
See why predictive analytics, AI, cloud platforms, and warehouse management systems are becoming essential to retail supply chain resilience.
Explore how technology is helping retailers forecast demand, anticipate disruption, and make faster operational decisions.
RETAIL SUPPLY CHAIN VISIBILITY & LOGISTICS PARTNERSHIPS
Discover how greater retail supply chain visibility, stronger third-party logistics partnerships, and integrated logistics networks are helping retailers improve agility, reduce complexity, and build more resilient supply chains.
About the research
DP World partnered with Supply Chain Dive's Studio by Informa TechTarget to survey 100 retail supply chain leaders across North America.
The research explores how retailers are responding to retail supply chain disruption, tariffs, rising operating costs, labor shortages, cybersecurity risks and transportation bottlenecks through smarter logistics strategies, technology investments, and collaborative partnerships.
DOWNLOAD THE 2026 RETAIL SUPPLY CHAIN RESILIENCE REPORT
Learn how leading retailers are improving retail supply chain resilience through smarter routing, supplier diversification, predictive analytics, technology investments, and integrated logistics partnerships.
FAQ
What is the 2026 Retail Supply Chain Resilience Report about?
The report examines how 100 retail supply chain leaders are responding to persistent disruption, tariffs, rising operating costs, labor shortages, cybersecurity risks and transportation bottlenecks. It explores the strategies, technologies and logistics partnerships retailers are using to build more adaptive and resilient supply chains.
What are the biggest retail supply chain disruptions?
Transportation bottlenecks and port congestion were reported by 57% of respondents, followed by labor shortages or work stoppages at 44%. Cybersecurity incidents and inventory or forecasting challenges were each reported by 33%.
How are retailers responding to tariffs and changing trade policies?
Retailers are responding by adjusting supply chain routing, joining trade associations and changing inventory management practices. Seventy-four percent reported adjusting routing to address tariff impacts, while 60% were modifying inventory practices.
Which technologies are retailers using to improve supply chain resilience?
Retailers are using cloud-based solutions, warehouse management systems, generative AI, predictive analytics and IoT-enabled visibility. Technology is considered extremely or very important by 97% of respondents for demand forecasting, 91% for inventory management and 87% for predicting disruptions.
How does DP World help retailers build more resilient supply chains?
DP World helps retailers build adaptable supply chains through end-to-end logistics capabilities, global infrastructure, local expertise, freight forwarding, warehousing, multimodal transportation, technology and collaborative logistics partnerships.