Shifting U.S. population patterns, caused in large part by the COVID-19 pandemic, are posing a new challenge for e-tailers looking to stay close to customers.

The pandemic has led to some unexpected consequences. Among them is a shift in population from urban to suburban and rural areas, by many who have discovered that they can keep working from home while paying less for housing. The trend has e-commerce providers scrambling to provide the necessary infrastructure in areas that are underserved by both physical carrier and broadband networks. On this episode, we’re joined by Mark Stanton, general manager of PowerFleet, who says the changes are resulting in increased competition between brick-and-mortar and e-commerce supply chains for the last mile. He talks about the kind of distribution facilities that are need to accommodate the demographic shift, and which retailers stand to benefit most from the trend. Hosted by Bob Bowman, Editor-in-Chief of SupplyChainBrain.

Show notes:

An article from Business Insider on the move by millennials and Gen Z to the suburbs.