Logistical Logjam: How are international shipping issues hurting the dietary supplement industry?

Have Supplement Brand Owners Finally Found an Answer to Supply Chain Disruption?

Supply chains across industries suffered an unprecedented setback in 2020, creating unforeseen shortages and disruptions and bringing businesses to a standstill. While the situation may be improving, most enterprises continue to be haunted by logistical issues.

Academician and nutraceutical industry veteran Gene Bruno, MS, MHS, RH(AHG)’s impactful article in Nutritional Outlook focuses on what he calls “the domino effect of supply chain disruptions” and what big and small nutraceutical businesses can do to mitigate these issues.

He says, countries hit the hardest by COVID-19 were, unfortunately, those that most of the world relied on for their manufacturing and distribution needs. In addition to factories shutting down or dramatically cutting down on their production volumes, plaguing logistical issues, and chaotic inventory management, these supply chain disruptions posed a significant threat to business and economic growth.

From a dietary supplement products perspective, the global supply chain is still volatile, with inevitable delays, shortages, and transportation problems proving to be a roadblock for operations. The results of a survey conducted by NutraScience Labs in January, 2022 revealed that9 out of 10 supplement brand owners were still experiencing some kind of supply chain disruption.

So, when will this end? What can be done to overcome delays?

Gene points out that while no one can accurately forecast a return to supply chain normalcy, supplement brands can take concrete steps to handle common problems associated with supply chain delays.

Want to know what supplement brand owners can (and need to) do to manage and overcome existing issues and prevent further supply chain disruptions? From warehousing and shipping to purchasing and inventory stocking, there’s a lot that dietary supplement businesses can focus on to streamline supply chain.

Read this eye-opening piece – recently published in Nutritional Outlook – on how international shipping issues are hurting the dietary supplement industry and how companies (both big and small) can take small but meaningful steps to place themselves in a better position to deal with these bottlenecks.