LM    Topics    Warehouse/DC

Topic: Warehouse/DC

A comprehensive source of news and trends in Warehouse and Distribution Center Management covering operations, strategies, sustainability and metrics.


Zebra Technologies is looking at strategic options for its robotics automation business
Acquired in 2021 and enhanced since, Zebra's mobile robot collaborative order picking solution may be sold off.

PwC report indicates transportation and logistics dealmaking activity is focused on strategy, not scale
The report observed that T&L dealmaking activity gained renewed traction over the second half of this year, with buyers prioritizing strategic alignment over scale. And it added that acquirers focused on subsectors offering defensible growth, operating efficiency, and exposure to high-barrier markets, with activity across what the firm called the full value chain, ranging from infrastructure to asset-light platforms, coupled with capital allocated for things like technology modernization, resilient supply chains, and specialized logistics services.

ASCM’s top 10 supply chain trends highlight a year of intelligent transformation
A new ASCM report outlines how AI, automation, geopolitics, workforce evolution, and circularity will reshape supply chains in 2026 and what leaders must do to prepare.

IKEA moves more manufacturing to U.S. as tariffs raise costs
The company says the shift will help improve delivery speed and stabilize supply.

DHL’s 2025 Peak Season approach includes more planning and less panic
Peak season used to feel like a mad dash, but DHL says the holidays don’t bring the same sense of chaos they once did. Thanks to years of planning, better forecasting, and rapid growth in robotics, the company is heading into the busiest stretch of the year with confidence instead of panic.

The Warehouse Efficiency Playbook
Warehouse leaders are under pressure to move faster, scale smarter, and keep teams engaged, all while dealing with labor shortages and rising customer expectations.

Worried About Supplier Risk? This Template Helps You Stay Ahead
We all know how stressful it gets when a supplier issue catches you off guard - late delivery, a missed order, or a sudden quality problem. To help you, C3 Solutions created this Free Supplier Risk Assessment Template.

Close the warehouse labor gap with overlooked talent pools
The warehouse workforce has more than doubled between 2015 and 2025. However, the labor gap is still growing, with the U.S. deficit projected to expand by an additional 6 million workers by 2032.

Real Answers for Automation at the Loading Dock
Most warehouses are comparing the best ways to incorporate automation into their operation to reduce costs and overcome the labor shortage. Truck unloading is considered the “holy grail” of warehouse automation because it’s hard, repetitive work – turnover rates are high, and it doesn’t require a lot of training, just a lot of backbreaking labor.

Manufacturing declines for the ninth consecutive month, reports ISM
The report’s benchmark reading, the PMI, registered a reading of 48.2 (a reading higher than 50 indicates growth), down 0.5% compared to October, contracting, at a faster rate, for the ninth consecutive month, with the overall economy growing, at a slower rate, for the 67th consecutive month.

Looking at the impact of tariffs on U.S. manufacturing
Six months into the latest tariff wave, the US faces a widening gap between policy-driven optimism and the real-world challenges of restoring competitive, resilient domestic manufacturing.

C.H. Robinson expands El Paso operations with 450,000 square-foot facility to meet rising Mexico trade demand
Taking steps to further expand its United States-Mexico border operations and presence, Eden Prairie, Minn.-based global third-party logistics (3PL) services provider and freight forwarder C.H. Robinson said this week it has added more than 450,000 square-feet of warehousing and cross-border docking space in El Paso, Texas, which it said brings the company’s U.S.-Mexico logistics footprint to more than 2 million square-feet.

Despite billions invested, supply chain technology is still falling short, says DHL report
A new DHL Supply Chain report shows 91% upgraded tech in the past five years, yet 49% still cite outdated systems as a top concern.

Logistics growth holds steady in October, states new edition of LMI
The October LMI reading came in at 57.4 (a reading above 50 indicates growth is occurring) for the second consecutive month, matching the September reading. This represents the eighth straight month the LMI has been below the all-time overall average of 61.4.

Logistics real estate demand hits an inflection point, reports Prologis Industrial Business Indicator
The third quarter IBI Activity Index reading came in at 53, with the inflection period coming from net absorption, new lease signings, and the proposal pipeline each at healthier levels in the third quarter compared to the 2024 average. And it added that the IBI reading showed a decline, as “supply chain activity peaked early in 2025 due to trade volatility,” adding that the recovery is nonlinear, paced by large and e-commerce companies pacing growth that is expected to be followed by other...

GXO posts record-setting Q3 earnings results
Greenwich, Conn.-based global contract logistics services provider GXO Logistics Inc. reported a company record for quarterly revenue, in its third quarter earnings announcement earlier this week. Revenue, at $3.4 billion, saw an 8% annual gain, with organic revenue up 4%, and net income, at $60 million, rose 42% annually. Adjusted earnings per share, at $0.79, was flat, topping Wall Street expectations, at $0.77.

Amid economic uncertainty, NRF forecast calls for a record retail holiday sales season
For 2025, NRF said it is calling for total holiday season spending to come increase between 3.7%-to-4.2% annually, coming in between $1.01 trillion-to-$1.02 trillion. In 2024, holiday sales saw a 4.3% annual gain, to $976.1 billion.

Manufacturing output heads down in October, for eighth consecutive month, reports ISM
The report’s benchmark reading, the PMI, at 48.7 (a reading of 50 or higher indicates growth), was off 0.4% compared to September, contracting, at a faster rate, for the eighth consecutive month, with the overall economy growing, at a slower rate, for the 66th consecutive month.

NextGen Supply Chain Conference brought together more than 200 industry leaders to examine the future of digital supply chains
The live event in Nashville, Tenn., featured 60-plus leaders, and also honored several companies with awards for supply chain excellence.

Manufacturing update with Susan Spence, Chair of the Institute for Supply Management’s Manufacturing Business Survey Committee
In this podcast, LM Group News Editor Jeff Berman interviewed Susan Spence, Chair of the Institute for Supply Management's (ISM) Manufacturing Business Survey Committee.


December 2025 Logistics Management

December 1, 2025 · Persistent volatility, policy whiplash, and uneven demand left logistics managers feeling trapped in a loop - where every solution seemed temporary, and every forecast came with an asterisk. From tariffs and trucking to rail and ocean freight, the year's defining force was disruption itself

Latest Resources

The Warehouse Efficiency Playbook
Warehouse leaders are under pressure to move faster, scale smarter, and keep teams engaged, all while dealing with labor shortages and rising customer expectations.
Drive Agility and Resilience Across Your Supply Chain
November Edge Report: What’s shaping freight now
More resources
 


Latest Resources

The Warehouse Efficiency Playbook
The Warehouse Efficiency Playbook
Warehouse leaders are under pressure to move faster, scale smarter, and keep teams engaged, all while dealing with labor shortages and rising...
Drive Agility and Resilience Across Your Supply Chain
Drive Agility and Resilience Across Your Supply Chain
Today’s supply chains face nonstop disruption—from global tensions to climate events and labor shortages. Avoiding volatility isn’t an option,...

November Edge Report: What’s shaping freight now
November Edge Report: What’s shaping freight now
Stay informed and ready for what’s next with the November Edge Report from C.H. Robinson.
Worried About Supplier Risk? This Template Helps You Stay Ahead
Worried About Supplier Risk? This Template Helps You Stay Ahead
We all know how stressful it gets when a supplier issue catches you off guard - late delivery, a missed order, or...
Close the warehouse labor gap with overlooked talent pools
Close the warehouse labor gap with overlooked talent pools
The warehouse workforce has more than doubled between 2015 and 2025. However, the labor gap is still growing, with the U.S. deficit projected...