BlueCherry® 10th Annual Report: State of Supply Chain & Technology

This milestone report marks a decade of tracking the most critical business issues in the retail, fashion, footwear, accessories, and home goods industries. Drawing from a decade's worth of survey results—averaging 300 participants annually—it provides unparalleled insights into the evolution of supply chain strategies and technology adoption.

Here are the top 10 key findings:

Year-over-year: 2024-2025

1.     Economic and political uncertainty rose 9 percentage points year-over-year as a serious problem with tariffs being the primary concern cited in open-ended responses. By 2025, 40% of respondents considered it a serious issue, up from 31% in 2024. 

2.     Advanced analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) leapfrogged on respondents' radar. Data-driven insight is the new gold standard behind success. In 2025, 72% stated they had AI projects in process or planned versus 49% in 2024.

3.     Merchandise demand planning climbed on corporate agendas. Why? Increased complexity of the product/sales channel mix. Earlier order commitments to mitigate risks and flexibility to react to trends.

5 years: 2021-2025

4.     Global COVID-19 pandemic seismic impact shook business foundations and supply chains from 2020 to 2022, with aftershocks into 2023 and 2024. First, it was survival, then unprecedented demand. Accelerated tech investment boosted supply chain visibility, positioning companies to tackle fast-changing U.S. UFLPA, ESG, and trade law requirements.

5.     E-commerce sales: During these years, e-commerce sales experienced explosive growth, driving businesses to focus on omnichannel retail as a key area for process re-engineering and technology investment. In 2022, 69% of respondents identified websites and online marketplaces as the biggest growth opportunity, while by 2025, 81% considered e-commerce to be a very important or important growth priority.

6.     Nearshoring and reshoring: In 2025, nearshoring and reshoring suddenly became a top priority after being a minor concern for four years, driven by factors such as tariff threats, sourcing and production diversification, and the demand for quicker order fulfillment. This shift was marked by a significant increase in importance, as only 14% considered it important or very important in 2021, dropping to 10% in 2022, rising to 18% in 2023, then back to 14% in 2024, before surging to 45% in 2025.

7.     Sustainability moved to the forefront, with terms like transparency, track and trace, chain of custody, and ESG becoming integral to the retail fashion, apparel, and footwear industries. This shift was reflected in the growing importance of ESG, with 51% considering it a priority in 2020, and by 2025, 61% of respondents having track and trace/ESG technology projects either in process or planned.

10 years: 2016-2025

8.     Analytics have always been a top priority during this decade with investments in AI predecessor technologies for data management, business intelligence, and Big Data capabilities. This enduring focus was evident in 2016, when business intelligence/analytics was the number one tech priority, and continued into 2025, where 72% of respondents reported having analytics/AI technology projects either in process or planned.

9.     Challenges in the early half of the decade  were primarily centered on internal business processes such as production/sourcing, data management, shipping/distribution, and inventory management/order fulfillment. However, over the past five years, concerns have shifted towards external forces, with top priorities now focusing on supply chain visibility/disruptions, price pressure/cost control, economic/political uncertainties, and finding new markets/channel diversification.

10.  Digital transformation has driven significant advancements in collaboration, efficiency, speed to market, supply chain visibility, and compliance over the past decade. Initially, digitalization focused on connecting teams and breaking down internal silos, but now it aims for real-time inventory visibility, factory automation, and seamless connectivity across trading partners from concept to consumer. This evolution is reflected in the growing investment in supply chain technology, from 25% in 2016 to 72% of companies digitally transforming their supply chain operations by 2023, with a further 9 percentage-point gain in digital process improvement between 2024 and 2025.

To unlock the full potential of these insights and discover how leading companies are navigating these challenges, download the complete report now. It includes comprehensive survey results, in-depth analyses, and three compelling customer profiles that will help you transform your business for success in 2025.

Download the full report HERE