Supply Chain Woes Multiply for Retail

Global supply chains of all sorts are having trouble keeping up with consumer demands for speedy, reliable delivery of goods, thanks to such factors as shifting U.S. tariffs and unpredictable spikes in merchandise demand driven by Tik-Tok and other social-media apps. Those are among the major findings of the new Supply Chain Integrity Outlook 2026 by Impinj, which also unearthed a trio of additional challenge for the retail sector:  Looming deadlines for compliance with the European Union’s Digital Product Passport (DPP) and minimizing the risks of counterfeit goods and fraudulent shipping.

On the first concern, nearly early two-thirds (65%) of retail and retail goods supply chain leaders surveyed expressed concern about their ability to meet the EU’s DPP requirements, and nearly one-third (29%) don’t expect to meet the deadline for starting the implementation of such tags starting next year (with full compliance set for 2030).

Counterfeit products also remain a growing issue. More than three-quarters (78%) of retailers and retail goods suppliers say it’s a challenge to stop unauthorized or fake versions of their products from reaching the market, and 71% report damage to brand reputation or revenue as a result. Consumers have low tolerance – 58% say they would stop buying a brand that unknowingly sold them a counterfeit product.

Also on the rise is fraudulent shipping. Seventy-six percent of retailers and retail goods suppliers report an increase in fraudulent shipping incidents, mirroring the 38% of consumers who say they’ve been victims themselves, including receiving the wrong item or never getting a package that was marked as delivered. Six in ten consumers (60%) say one fraudulent shipping experience would cause them to abandon a brand altogether.

Click here to register to receive the complete results of the Impinj survey, which drew responses from 1000 U.S. consumers and 750 U.S. supply chain operators.