Supply Chain & FulfillmentWednesday, August 12, 2026
Venture capital investment in last-mile delivery has declined from its 2021 peak, with major funds now prioritizing Series A–C companies that demonstrate delivery costs below two dollars per mile.
In-store operational inefficiency now consumes 6.4% of gross retail sales due to administrative overhead, making automation of routine reporting and task verification critical for stopping leakage.
Combining item-level RFID with artificial intelligence increases store SKU accuracy from approximately 63 percent to over 95 percent while reducing full inventory counts from eight staff days to half a day.
In-store retail media is evolving into AI-optimized displays that process real-time store signals like foot traffic and basket composition to serve dynamic, personalized ads on smart shelves.
Walgreens operates 11 robotic micro-fulfillment centers that automate 40% of its prescription volume, reducing cost per fill by 13–14% and enabling rapid same-day delivery.
The global ghost kitchen market is projected to grow at a 16.2% CAGR to $204 billion by 2030, with the UK leading Europe with 1,600 facilities.
