Why Small Retailers Will Struggle This Holiday Season

Patrick Penfield, professor of supply chain practice and director of Executive Education in the Whitman School, was interviewed for the CNN story, “Snowcone the Happy Unicorn is the latest victim of manufacturing chaos.”

Penfield discusses the ongoing repercussions of the pandemic on manufacturing and many company’s abilities to maintain stock to keep up with their demand this year. Penfield cites the upcoming holiday season, saying, “Large retailers have an enormous advantage over small stores because of their scale, resources, supplier relationships and systems. Smaller retailers are going to really struggle to fill their shelves. It’s going to be a difficult holiday season for them.”