Supply chains today are having to navigate more than just operational volatility. Weather events, geopolitical tension, inflation, shifting consumer behaviour, and fluctuating demand are all influencing how businesses plan, position, and manage inventory.

With longer lead times and greater uncertainty, many organisations are moving away from traditional approaches and looking for ways to balance resilience, efficiency, and responsiveness. The question is no longer just where inventory should be placed, but how businesses can maintain the flexibility to adapt when market conditions change.

In this video, Kevin Bennett, Vice President of Business Development, Maersk Contract Logistics, and Ilaria Maselli, Head of Macro and Market Insights at Maersk discuss the trends influencing inventory strategies across global supply chains. They examine how disruptions are affecting the flow of goods, why economic indicators such as consumer confidence and inflation remain important signals to watch, and how businesses are responding to a more complex operating environment.

As companies look to manage risk and uncertainty, inventory is increasingly being held further upstream in the supply chain. While this can provide greater resilience, it can also make allocation and distribution decisions more difficult when consumer demand remains hard to predict.

Watch the video to learn how inventory strategies are changing, what market signals supply chain leaders should be monitoring, and how greater flexibility can support better decision-making in uncertain times.

Find out how to build an adaptive contract logistics strategy in a volatile market.