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Supply Chain by the Numbers

March 19, 2026

Supply Chain by the Numbers for March 19, 2026

Q4 GDP Estimate Revised Way Down. Uber Setting the Pace for Robotaxis. Target Stores Investing Big in People, AI. US Manufacturing is Flat Again in February, US Fed Says


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0.7%
That was weak new estimate of US Q4 2025 real GDP from the Department of Commerce late last week, down from the initial estimate of 1.4% a few weeks ago. The number s also well below the consensus estimate of 1.5% from leading economists. It also marked a considerable slowdown from the 4.4% gain in the prior period, hampered by a record-long government shutdown that saw government spending tumble 16.7%. For the full year, GDP posted a 2.1% increase, or one-tenth of a percentage point lower than the previous reading. In Q4 2024, the economy rose at a 2.8% pace. In other bad news for the US economy, the Q4 report found the core PCE inflation rose 0.4% in January and 3.1% on a 12-month basis.

$6 Billion+

That’s how much struggling retailer Target is

investing this year in people, stores and technology/AI, as it seeks a turnaround. That according to Prat Vemana, the retailer’s chief information and product officer. In an interview this week with the Wall Street Journal. He cited three AI-based tools: tech to improve the store experience, making sure the right items are in stock at the right times. Target uses advanced analytics models to forecast demand for all its products; Target Trend Brain, an AI tool aimed at helping the company’s designers sort through vast amounts of data from runway shows, social media and written reports to analyze the trendiest colors, patterns and cuts; and Agentic commerce, even though it is in its early days, but Vemana said he would rather be early and learn than sit back and wait for it to become more mainstream.



10+
That is the number of metro markets globally that Uber Technologies and autonomous vehicle technology provider Wayve are in the process of rolling out with their robotaxi service in. That news as part of announcement last week that the two companies plus car maker Nissan are developing the market for the system in Japan, with a pilot program scheduled for Q4 2026 in Tokyo. The joint initiative plans to integrate Wayve’s artificial-intelligence self-driving system into Nissan’s base vehicle, which can connect to Uber’s ride-hailing platform. The program will use the Nissan Leaf electric vehicles. Japan is emerging as a robotaxi battleground as Uber, Wayve and Nissan aim to strike partnerships with local automakers to deploy self-driving cars and robotaxis, betting the country’s massive taxi market and deepening driver shortage will accelerate adoption of autonomous vehicles.



98.8
That was the level of US manufacturing output in February, as represented in the monthly index from the Federal Reserve Bank, which was released this week. That was up just a little from January (with a score of 98.7), as the index has been in range that has seen it hover around the 96 -98 level for more than six months, with no real growth, but not recessionary declines either. However, February output was 1.4% up versus the same period in 2025. But at an index level of 98.8, it means US manufacturing output is now below that of the baseline year of 2017 (index = 100) now nine years later. It is also well below the all-time high of about 108, reached in late 2007.

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