Once upon a time, the retail calendar centered itself on the Christmas season. Now, the retail surge is year-round. Not just the wave of traditional seasonal holidays from Valentine’s Day to the 4th of July, but also newer sales holidays, such as Cyber Monday, or even holidays created by some gigantic companies themselves, like Amazon’s Prime Day. Now, instead of a steady pace leading up to a frenzied December, retailers are in sprint mode all the time.

Ever since the pandemic hit, supply chain issues have abounded. Retailers bore the brunt of the news coverage, as shelves went barren for a host of reasons—not least demand shifts, panic buying, container shortages, and geopolitical concerns. These supply chain issues are estimated to have caused revenue losses of 5%–20% for some retailers. Often, once loyal customers switch brands or retailers rather than waiting months for products to come back in stock.