So far, 2025 has kept us on our toes, especially with all the uncertainty surrounding tariffs. But in this episode of Unboxing the Trends, Lori and Tim take a break from the tariff talk to discuss three major trends from June: warehouse automation, carrier shifts, and drone deliveries.

Listen to this 15-minute episode to get up to date with the latest shipping and logistics happenings!

As of last month, Amazon has deployed over a million robots in their warehouses. As Lori points out, robots now outnumber human workers! It might sound a little dystopian, but automation is incredibly helpful for businesses—as long as they don’t neglect their human employees.

Lori recommends, “Don’t just drop some tech in without training. Make sure that your people are part of the process.”

UPS and FedEx have each made changes to their relationships with Amazon. “UPS has pulled back a whole bunch from its Amazon business,” Lori explains, “while FedEx has picked up a bunch of the Amazon volume.”

What does that mean for your shipping?

“If you're super UPS dependent, you might see maybe a little bit of disruption … maybe some reliability concerns. On the flip side, if you are heavily dependent on FedEx, you'll have steady operation that's expanded, but you might face tighter capacity.”

Walmart has partnered with Wing to offer drone delivery to over 100 new stores across major metropolitan areas like Houston and Atlanta.

This signals that drone delivery may be moving past the “novelty stage [and] expanding into something that people are starting to use and expect.”

But don’t get too excited yet. It remains to be seen whether drone delivery will take off or fall flat. The two determining factors: regulations and cost-effectiveness.

• Connect with Lori on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/loribboyer/
• Connect with Tim on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-ranagan-mba-2717bb125/
• Visit EasyPost’s website: https://www.easypost.com/

Now that we’re past the halfway point of the year (can you believe it?), it’s time to get serious about peak season. When handled right, peak is an opportunity to drive more sales than ever, reach new markets, and continue to delight loyal customers.

But will tariffs, inflation, and other issues stand in the way?

Sucharita Kodali, retail industry analyst at Forrester, explains exactly what’s going on in the retail industry, what we can expect from the 2025 peak season, and how to get ready.

It’s no secret that the past few months have been full of economic uncertainty for both consumers and businesses. Sucharita says that while essential goods are still in high demand, retailers that sell non-essentials may be struggling.

“There is a particularly uncertain vibe [due to] … not knowing where the tariff situation may land, as well as consumer confidence not being terribly high, which means that a lot of discretionary items are more vulnerable.”

Sucharita points out an interesting contradiction: while consumer confidence has been “quite low,” spending levels in 2025 are still relatively high—even when adjusted for inflation. That’s good news for businesses moving into the holiday season.

Even so, she predicts that peak season will see heavy discounting as usual (consumers, rejoice!) unless brands face major supply chain issues.

She notes, “There's no reason to hold onto inventory and hoard it. So unless there's a supply shock, I can't envision a scenario where it's not going to be another heavy discounting season.”

The decision to frontload inventory depends on many factors, including storage and transportation costs, margins, categories, and anticipated demand. According to Sucharita, “Perhaps the biggest issue is [whether] you have cash. If you don't have any money and you don't have any savings, does it make sense to put yourself in credit card debt? No.”

So if you’re thinking about stocking up ahead of peak season, make sure your cash flow can support the extra costs you’ll incur.

• Connect with Sucharita on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sucharitamulpuru/
• Visit Forrester’s website: https://www.forrester.com/bold/

In this episode of Unboxing Logistics, host Lori Boyer kicks off Season 5 with a fun and insightful discussion about gamification in the supply chain. Joined by Katie Brown, Senior Director of Product Management at Foot Locker, and Dylan Telford, Omnichannel Practice Lead at Summit Advisory Team, they explore how introducing game-like elements into warehouse operations can drive motivation, improve productivity, and even make picking and packing a bit more fun.

Gamification isn’t just displaying performance stats. Real impact comes when the experience feels rewarding, includes clear goals, and provides a reason to play, whether that’s pay-for-performance, team recognition, or personal growth.

“Everybody who's attempting to get to that win in the end is successful in playing the game.” —Dylan Telford

Before introducing competition or incentives, teams need to define what success looks like and track it consistently. Without goals and metrics, gamification falls flat.

“You need to be able to measure. Otherwise you're playing a game with no goals.” —Dylan Telford

Gamification shouldn’t be complicated. Start small, involve the team, and keep improving based on real feedback. And don’t forget: it’s just as important to lift up lower performers as it is to celebrate top ones.

“Sometimes bringing up the bottom is almost more impactful than raising the top of the bar.” —Katie Brown

Links

• Connect with Katie Brown on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/katie-brown-41807347
• Visit Foot Locker’s website: https://www.footlocker.com/
• Connect with Dylan Telford on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dylan-telford-b7404769
• Visit Summit Advisory Team’s website: https://summitadvisoryteam.com/