Traditional retail supply chains have been disrupted by the rise of new distribution and fulfillment channels. Delivery times are faster, stores are becoming online fulfillment centers and many retailers are considering how to pull last-mile delivery in house. These modern challenges have been layered on top of the already complicated traditional supply chains that have kept goods moving to brick-and-mortar stores and into consumers' hands for generations. And that was before a global pandemic complicated both back- and front-end operations for retailers.

In this collection of features, Retail Dive looks at how the COVID-19 pandemic upended some trends, and dramatically accelerated others to further disrupt the flow of goods from manufacturers and suppliers through retailers to consumers. 

The COVID-19 pandemic dealt a harsh hand to the retail industry, first disrupting supply chains overseas and then by sinking demand for discretionary goods in the U.S. and forcing stores to temporarily close. Retailers are still dealing with those ramifications, including complicated decisions around inventory, how to order for an unpredictable future and what to do with returns as more purchases move online.  

The only thing certain for the moment is that nothing is certain. 

Read more here.