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Supply Chain by the Numbers

Dec. 4, 2025

Supply Chain by the Numbers for Dec. 4, 2025

Amazon Launches New Ultra-Fast Delivery Service. US Manufacturing Shinks again in November. Just Say No to UP-NS Merger. Cyber Week Sales


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That is the targeted order to delivery time for Amazon’s new “ultra fast” fulfilment service being rolled out by Amazon in parts of Seattle and Philadelphia, according to a company blog this week. The move will allow Amazon to better compete with rival Walmart and with delivery firms such as DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Instacart. Amazon said in a blog post that customers will be able to order an array of different items, including milk, eggs, fresh produce, toothpaste, cosmetics, pet treats, diapers, paper products, electronics, seasonal items, over-the-counter medicines, chips, dips, and more. The ultra-fast deliveries aren’t free. Amazon Prime members can choose the speedy delivery option for a $3.99 fee per order, while non-Prime members will have to pay $13.99.

60+

That is how many trade associations and chambers of commerce submitted a letter to the Surface Transportation Board last week opposing rail carrier Union Pacific Corp.'s proposed acquisition of Norfolk Southern Corp. The largest railroad merger in US history was announced less than three months ago, and opposition has begun. Shareholders of Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific voted Nov. 28 to approve the agreement that allows UP to buy and absorb NS in a deal valued at $85 billion. For example, the American Chemistry Council’s letter in part said this: “History has shown that increased rail consolidation leads to fewer choices, higher transportation costs, service disruptions, and reduced economic competitiveness.”



35
That is how months out of the last 37 that the US Purchasing Managers Index from the Institute for Supply Management has been below the key 50 score that indicates manufacturing expansion. That trend continued in November, with a PMI of 48.2, down a little from 48.7 in October and still showing contraction, according to the ISM report released this week. Other economic indicators in the month were mostly down. The New Orders Index contracted for a third straight month in November following one month of growth; the figure of 47.4 is 2 percentage points lower than the 49.4 recorded in October, in bad news for future US manufacturing activity. However, the November level of the Production Index (51.4) is 3.2 percentage points higher than October’s figure of 48.2 and back above 50.



7.7%
That was the strong rise in total retail sales during the so-called Cyber Week - the five days from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday - compared with an 8.2% increase to $41.1 billion last year, but above its prior expectations of $43.7 billion, according to a report from Adobe Analytics on Tuesday. What’s more a total of 129.5 million consumers shopped in-store for the holidays, up 3% from a year earlier, the NRF said. Shoppers are still heading to stores, but the biggest growth is online, which now accounts for 30% of total holiday sales. That’s up from 15% in 2012, according to the NRF.

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