USA 4th of July Celebrations & Supply Chain Complexities

Happy Birthday, America!

The Fourth of July holiday celebrates the birthday of the United States of America, but no one ever stops to think how this holiday gets pulled together.

There is food - hot dogs, hamburgers, watermelon, etc. - and of course, fireworks – that must arrive from suppliers to retail outlets or consumers’ homes at the right time.

The National Retail Federation predicts that Americans will spend $6.9 billion on food over the 4th of July holiday.

Other results from the NRF survey include:

• 9 out of 10 adults will celebrate the Fourth of July
• 31 million will be traveling
• 27% of people plan to purchase patriotic merchandise
• 62% of people are planning a cookout or picnic
• 61+ million cases of domestic beer will be drunk
• $325 million will be spent on fireworks in the US

For supply chain managers, the 4th of July holiday consists of a lot of variables that add complexities to supply chains.

These include regional tastes, weather conditions, traffic patterns and local regulations that increase demand variability, making transporting the 4th of July goods on time to the right location quite hard to coordinate without the use of technology.

With the increase in shipments needed to get 4th of July merchandise, food and fireworks to retailers’ shelves, the decrease in capacity and lack of truck drivers to carry loads could potentially fizzle out any supply chain.

Hopefully, you planned early and can be flexible.

Using a transportation management system (TMS) that collects data from across the supply chain and generates reports that help management make better, more informed decisions, can help you plan for seasonality within your operations.

Read: How to Go About Buying a Transportation Management System

A TMS that has thousands of carriers connected in a global network, or that allows you to access the spot market, can help you find the capacity you need, quickly and easily.

A TMS that manages inbound freight can speed operations at the dock, helping distributors improve their operations and maximize efficiency.

With technology like Kuebix TMS managing your freight, your 4th of July with be the best celebration of the year.

National Retail Federation

Related White Papers & eBooks

Driving Supplier, Carrier and Customer Collaboration New!
This ebook describes how through the use of collaboration portals with various stakeholders, you will be able to effectively manage your cost of goods and consistently meet the expectations of your internal and external customers. Download Now!

The Art of the Inbound: 11 Ways to Improve Your Inbound Shipping Operations
This ebook provides a guide to benchmark your company against best practices in the transportation and shipping industry and helps to put together a strategic approach to capitalizing on the opportunities to manage the “art of the inbound.” Download Now!

The Complete Buyer’s Guide to Transportation Management Systems
There is almost no limit to how a Transportation Management System can benefit your unique supply chain, but the key to success is finding the right one for your goals, so, before selecting a TMS, use the 12 questions in this buyer’s guide to find the best solution for your company. Download Now!

Effectively Managing Big Data in Your Supply Chain
In this white paper, we’ll explain what the term “big data” means to the typical supply chain, introduce effective strategies for managing and leveraging that data, show how one grocer is using predictive analytics to harness its own big data, and explain the “first steps” that companies need to take down the path to effective management of their big data. Download Now!

More Resources from Kuebix