The term “globalization” has fallen out of favor, but global trade remains a hot topic. Globalization is all about flows. The flow of people. The flow of capital. The flow of resources. The flow of goods and services. The flow of data. And the flow of ideas. Most of these flows face challenges. McKinsey & Company analysts conclude, “To negotiate an era that may be more complex and challenging requires a deeper understanding of the full picture of global flows, their networks and evolution, and potential scenarios for the future. Looking at the entire range of global flows, it is clear that the world is not defaulting to deglobalization, but that global connections are reconfiguring.”

This article compares ongoing supply chain challenges to the movie Groundhog Day. Like the movie's main character, supply chain professionals are stuck in a loop of recurring problems like COVID disruptions, dependence on China, labor shortages, and inflation. However, there are solutions. Building agile and resilient supply chains, shifting to "just-in-case" models, diversifying suppliers, and using automation are ways to break free from this loop and ensure future success.

There is little doubt that China’s aggressive policies affect global trade. As a result, there have been shrill calls for the United States to decouple its economy from trade with China completely. Even if such a strategy were possible, pursuing it would not be in anyone's best interests. Throughout the Cold War, the world witnessed the negative impacts of isolating some economies.

This article discusses the growing challenge of product returns for retailers, especially in e-commerce. It highlights changing return policies, the high costs associated with returns, and various strategies retailers are adopting to manage this issue more effectively. CopyRetry