What You Actually Need to Know About Supply Chain Disruption

What do soy sauce price hikes across China and dry petrol pumps in the UK have in common?

If you’ve opened a newspaper, refreshed a social media feed, or attempted to order a pair of shoes online in the last few months, you’ve probably seen the phrase ‘supply chains’ all over the place — and lately, it’s almost always followed by words like ‘disruption,’ ‘breakdowns,’ or ‘distress.’

Late shipments, goods shortages, and higher prices have become a global logistics crisis that is now impacting businesses of all sizes. If you’re a brand owner — particularly in e-commerce logistics — this situation creates significant uncertainty around planning, fulfillment, and customer expectations.

In the US, consumer prices have seen their sharpest increase in 13 years, driven largely by supply-side pressures.

What’s putting so much strain on the system? In this post, we’ll take you beyond the headlines to explore the real reasons behind supply chain disruption, how it affects your bottom line, and what steps you can take to protect your business moving forward.

Explore more: Wayfindr’s (formerly CBIP) Full-Service Logistics Services

The basics of backup logistics

Let’s start from square one. Why is it, exactly, that shipping mishaps lead to higher costs of the goods we use every day? 

In today’s globally connected economy, every piece of the supply chain might happen in a different place. 

A business shipping globally may have a manufacturer in China, a warehouse in the UK, shipping containers off the west coast of the US, and delivery personnel everywhere in between. Disruptions at any one point in the process can mean serious hold-ups.

And the costs that occur when the supply chain equation isn’t balanced often fall to you.

Supply chain disruption are nothing new, however. They can result from both internal factors on the part of business management or external factors that affect entire markets. Generally, they stem from:

• Natural disasters and environmental variables, such as delays due to weather or cycles that affect raw materials

• Changes in trade laws and other governmental regulations

• Transport costs, including surges in gas prices

• Lags in technological uptake and poor planning, resulting in an inability to accurately forecast demand or route closures

One often overlooked element is how disconnected many businesses are from their own supply chains. Without real-time data or access to integrated logistics management tools, companies struggle to forecast, reroute, or even understand where delays are happening. That’s where specialized logistics services — including inventory optimization, warehousing coordination, and customs clearance services — can make or break operational efficiency.

Any one of these factors in isolation can result in major headaches for businesses, maritime industry behemoths, shipping providers, and customers alike. But when these compound, things get even more complicated.

One other point to remember is the sheer amount of ‘behind-the-scenes’ work it takes to get goods to consumers. While we may never see the containers loaded onto ships that travel the oceans, their smooth entry and exit help to ensure our daily conveniences. In times of normalcy, this all remains more or less invisible.

Although the container-ization of our world has been going on for decades, a newer feature is the rise of the age of e-commerce. This puts distribution networks under pressure to keep up with expectations for faster and faster shipping and introduces a model that places the online retail experience above all else.

The COVID supply chain conundrum

As the COVID pandemic has evolved and stretched on, global supply chains are now in trouble. A small supply chain disruption can have a ripple effect that spans continents. Amid constant stops and starts due to regional lockdowns, thousands of breakdowns are having a compounding effect. 

For example: in August of 2021, the world’s third-largest port, Ningbo, was forced to close when a single COVID-19 case was detected among its employees. The abrupt closure of the marine hub, located outside Shanghai, drastically affected shipping lines and resulted in massive re-routing. Even worse, goods already docked in the port were stuck for over two weeks.

This comes in addition to another major factor: the cost of the containers themselves.  According to a Reuters report, container pricing on the route from China to the U.S. east coast has risen 500%, topping out at over $20,000+ for a 40-foot box.

Such container prices spikes came as a result of ocean shipping companies scaling back during global lockdowns, then playing catch-up when demand for goods from Asia picked back up. With far less cargo space available and higher prices, it comes as no surprise that many businesses have been forced to make calculated decisions surrounding where, when, and how to ship their goods.

On top of it all, COVID has led to labor shortages that affect multiple points of the supply chain. That means fewer people to manage inventory in warehouses, difficulty finding delivery workers, and widespread uncertainty over when ‘normal’ could ultimately resume around the world. 

Labor shortages only worsened the situation — especially for companies lacking a flexible logistics solution or alternative contingency plans.

Explore more: How Technology is Transforming Logistics: The Shipping Edition

Get a flexible logistics partner on your side — through the good and the bad

As a modern business, it’s never been more important to be able to adapt to the shifts happening in both your market and around the world.

If your business is locked into a plan that doesn’t offer room for flexibility, you could get stuck with unused inventory and, ultimately, disappointed customers. That’s why businesses are increasingly turning to 4PL logistics models that go beyond traditional shipping.

Unlike basic freight or courier services, a 4PL partner like Wayfindr integrates every part of the logistics journey — from sourcing providers to coordinating real-time delivery updates — into a single, manageable solution. When a logistics company provides full visibility, it becomes easier to anticipate bottlenecks and plan for contingencies across multiple markets.

At Wayfindr, we understand that building resilience into your supply chain is no longer optional — it’s essential. As a global logistics company specializing in 4PL, we help e-commerce brands design agile, adaptive, and intelligent supply chains that scale with your growth.

With our full-service logistics coverage across warehousing, shipping, and returns, plus expert insights into customs clearance services, we’re ready to help you stay ahead of whatever comes next.

Plan smarter with Wayfindr Explore

Wayfindr Explore is built to help brands assess, design, and future-proof their logistics infrastructure before problems happen. Whether you’re entering a new market, reassessing providers, or building regional fulfillment networks, our team provides hands-on analysis and strategic guidance.

Discover how Wayfindr Explore helps you build a more resilient supply chain