How Diverse Business Models Are Redefining Supply Chains

Editor’s note: This is the final part of a three-part series exploring the impact of current fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) trends on businesses and their supply chains.

As consumer expectations evolve, e-commerce accelerates and technology reshapes the FMCG sector, supply chains face constant pressure to adapt. With U.S. online revenue expected to hit $2.55 trillion by 2030, hybrid shopping models such as buy online, pickup in store (BOPIS); digital options such as direct-to-consumer (DTC), and subscription services are rapidly expanding. 

These diverse business models aren’t going anywhere. They’ll continue to challenge traditional operating rules and require supply chains that are proactive, agile and resilient. Following are a few core drivers that are shaping the future. 

The rise of digital commerce. It’s changing how consumers shop for everyday essentials. While the demand for FMCG products remains stable, where and how consumers choose to buy them has shifted.

A big part of this shift comes from lifestyle changes that accelerated during the pandemic around online connectivity and home-based activities. And those habits have stuck. A 2025 McKinsey report found that U.S. consumers reported having over three hours more free time per week than those surveyed in 2019, and 90% of them are spending that additional time on solo activities such as hobbies, fitness, shopping and social media. 

This rise in individual and digital engagement naturally shifts more shopping activity into online channels. Data confirms this trend, with one Salesforce report showing that 53% of shoppers discover products through social media platforms, up from 46% in 2023, and 52% are purchasing products through the BOPIS model. 

Convenience is another major driver. E-commerce and food delivery services are becoming more routine, with nearly 40% of consumers in the U.S. and U.K. saying they used grocery delivery within the past week. This underscores a growing “bring-it-to-me” mindset that continues to redefine expectations for speed and availability.

The growing mix of discovery, order and shopping pathways introduces real operational complexity. Rather than optimizing for a single channel, supply chains must simultaneously support multiple fulfillment paths.

New models, new operational realities. As pressures on the omnichannel grow, companies are tasked with tailoring their operations by channel while still maintaining overall network agility.

For models blending the in-person experience with online capabilities, such as BOPIS, priorities like in-store labor, order-picking processes and inventory accessibility come to the forefront. Retailers must find ways to maintain a smooth in‑store experience for traditional shoppers while also meeting hybrid demand that requires employees to pull items from shelves and the backroom for online orders. This balancing act introduces new pressures on labor scheduling, inventory accuracy and floor operations.

By contrast, more digitally driven models such as DTC shift operational focus away from the store and toward fulfillment and transportation. Here, the priority becomes strengthening last-mile delivery capabilities to support smaller, more frequent shipments. Reverse logistics also plays a much larger role, as higher return volumes must be processed quickly and efficiently to minimize waste, cost and disruption throughout the network.

Across both models and the many variations in between, the common thread is clear: Each channel brings its own operational intricacies. To stay competitive, companies need supply chains that can flex and scale despite the changing priorities and demands. 

Flexibility as a strategic advantage. Flexibility has emerged as a defining characteristic of high-performing supply chains. So how are businesses building this kind of network agility?

Many supply chain leaders are now viewing their storefronts as additional nodes in their network, strategically planning them as micro-fulfillment centers. This approach gained traction during the pandemic, as e-commerce demand surged and expectations for rapid delivery emerged. Now, these localized fulfillment centers continue to give retailers more flexibility to meet consumers’ changing demand, and adjust inventory based on regional buying patterns. 

Similarly, retailers are taking a fresh look at the hub-and-spoke model, a fulfillment approach long used by grocers. By consolidating to larger fulfillment centers (hubs) and distributing goods to regional stores (spokes), retailers are extending their reach and flexibility to meet broader product distribution.  

There’s another shift happening behind the scenes: Businesses are relying more on their supply chain partners. According to the 2025 Annual Third-Party Logistics Study, 87% of shippers increased their use of outsourced logistics services, a 25% jump from 2024. As more brands turn to external partners, they’re prioritizing arrangements that not only boost capacity but also help shrink environmental footprint. That’s driving more collaboration to cut carbon emissions and reduce waste through smarter transportation, improved network design and more sustainable packaging.

Brands using shared assets such as pallets gain the benefits of circular reuse, stronger visibility across partners and the flexibility to scale equipment as demand shifts. By joining a pooled network, companies benefit from an established infrastructure that supports rapid scaling, and adapts more easily to evolving business models.

Whether brands are modernizing their networks or leaning on partners to extend their capabilities, each of these steps reinforces how critical flexibility is to staying ahead.

In a world where consumer expectations, technology and markets are constantly evolving, the most resilient supply chains will be those built to adapt. One message is clear: Adaptability must remain a strategic priority. The following three strategies summarize where leaders should focus.

Actively listen and respond to consumer expectations. Understand and anticipate changing behaviors to deliver the transparency, speed and personalization that’s required of modern supply chains. 

Consider the total value of supply chain operations. Evaluate technology, fulfillment channels and cost-to-serve holistically to balance efficiency, sustainability and resilience. And, remember that hidden risks, such ss under-optimized transport, asset loss or packaging waste, can quietly chip away at a network’s value, so it’s essential to address them early.

View partnerships as strategic enablers, not transactions. Collaborate deeply across networks to enable innovation, scalability and long-term value. Trusted partners can help to fill gaps, extend circular asset pools and support more flexible, future‑ready operations.

Drew Merrill is senior vice president of sales, marketing and customer growth at CHEP U.S.