The need to know
The need to know for the week ending 24th July 2020
The need to know from Reuters global network of journalists
Walmart Canada to spend C$3.5billion on e-commerce push, store renovations
Walmart Canada (WMT.N) said on the Monday it plans to spend C$3.5 billion ($2.58 billion) over the nextfive years to strengthen its e-commerce business, as the COVID-19 pandemic prompts a large-scale shift to online shopping.
France considers moratorium on new e-commerce warehouses, says minister
France’s newly-appointed Environment Minister Barbara Pompili said on Thursday she would push to pause the development of warehouses used by online businesses such as Amazon, in a possible setback for the e-commerce giant.
Apple to remove Carbon from supply chain, products by 2030
Apple Inc (AAPL.O) said on Tuesday it plans to remove carbon emissions from its entire business, including its products and sprawling supply chain, over the next decade.
E-commerce firm Flipkart buys Walmart’s India wholesale business
Walmart-owned Flipkart will buy the U.S. retail giant’s Indian cash-and-carry wholesale business as the e-commerce firm looks to strengthen its offerings for mom-and-pop stores, the company said on Thursday.
Ship owners struggle to bring home crews amid coronavirus chaos
Shipping companies are still struggling to get hundreds of thousands of crew members back home after many months at sea despite pledges by countries to ease transit restrictions for seafarers, industry officials say.
Boohoo tells home secretary it is probing charges of malpractice in supply chain
Fashion retailer Boohoo Group Plc (BOOH.L) wrote a letter to UK Home Secretary Priti Patel, saying that the company is taking action to probe allegations of malpractice in its supply chain and that it asks for the government to take action as well.
Danish shipper Maersk to stop taking waste to China, Hong Kong from September
Denmark’s A.P. Moller-Maersk, the world’s top container shipping firm, said on Wednesday it would stop accepting solid waste shipments bound for China and Hong Kong from September.
Coronavirus pandemic advances the march of ‘cobots’
While a resurgence in coronavirus cases in Texas has brought many businesses to a screeching halt, eight robots have kept All Axis Machining’s metal fabrication facility in Dallas humming.
Chinese ports hit capacity as virus tests slow clearing: shippers
Testing of imported food for the novel coronavirus is pushing capacity at some major Chinese ports to their limit, major shippers told customers this week, warning of additional fees and possible diversions to other ports.
Softbank pulls investment from Credit Suisse supply chain funds: sources
SoftBank (9984.T) has pulled a more than $500 million investment from Credit Suisse’s (CSGN.S) supply chain finance funds after the Swiss bank reviewed the funds including the Japanese conglomerate’s role, according to two sources.
Amazon India demands product listings have country of origin by August 10
Amazon.com Inc’s India unit has told sellers they must provide country of origin information on product listings by August 10, according to an email sent by the e-commerce giant to sellers, against a backdrop of brewing anti-China sentiment.
Adevinta wins auction to buy eBay’s classified ads unit for nearly $9 billion
Norway’s Adevinta has won the auction to buy the bulk of eBay’s classified ads unit for nearly $9 billion, with the U.S. e-commerce firm planning to keep a minority stake, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Monday.
Armani, YNAP sign deal to integrate online and store networks
Italian fashion house Giorgio Armani has struck a deal with online retailer Yoox Net-a-Porter (YNAP) to better integrate the luxury group’s e-commerce site with its network of physical stores, the two companies said on Wednesday.
Lockheed Martin raises 2020 profit forecast, shares jump
Lockheed Martin (LMT.N) raised its full-year profit and revenue forecasts on Tuesday as the U.S. weapons supplier overcame coronavirus-driven supply disruptions to post higher quarterly sales in its aeronautics unit that makes the F-35 fighter jet.
Microsoft, Nike, Unilever team up to combat global carbon emissions
Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O), Nike Inc (NKE.N), Starbucks Corp (SBUX.O), Unilever NV (UNA.AS) and five other industry titans from various sectors are teaming up to help businesses globally achieve zero carbon emissions.
Insurers favour warehouse investments over offices as pandemic hastens real estate shifts
Global insurers want to increase investments in commercial warehouses as their stakes in office space become riskier because of employees working remotely during the novel coronavirus pandemic, Goldman Sachs Asset Management (GSAM) executives said.
A fifth of EU soy imports from Brazil could be tainted by deforestation, study says
A fifth of EU soy imports from Brazil may come from land illegally deforested, according to a study released on Thursday that offers a detailed inventory of farms in the supply chain.
From elsewhere around the web
Gartner Survey Reveals 17% of Chief Supply Chain Officers are Women. [Supply and Demand Chain Executive]
Flooding in China disrupts medical, PPE suppliers. Shippers should expect delays. [Supply Chain Dive]
RLS Logistics Announces Nationwide Expansion Plan. [Supply Chain Dive]
FedEx installs robotic arms for automated parcel sorting to handle rising e-commerce volume. [Supply Chain Dive]
E-commerce here to stay, which means a ‘fundamental redesign’ of supply chains. [The Load Star]
Container shipping C02 emissions continue to drop. [Port Technology]
South Carolina defies COVID-19 with steady volume. [Port Technology]
New Walmart facility set to increase volumes at SC ports. [Port Technology]
Shipping embraces decarbonisation start-ups. [Lloyd’s List]