COVID-19 Highlights Distribution and Logistics Sector’s Importance
March 25, 2021
While the pandemic caused massive supply chain disruptions that hindered the global distribution and logistics landscape, it also shined a spotlight on the industry’s importance, which only stands to grow in the coming years.
Consider its impact on Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), located on the Kentucky side of the Ohio River in the community of Hebron. As airports across the nation grappled with plummeting passenger traffic, a boom in air cargo provided a much-needed silver lining for CVG. Cargo volume skyrocketed following the pandemic’s onset, and throughout the rest of the year, shipments reached levels typically seen only during the holiday season.
This cargo boom stems from significantly accelerated growth in e-commerce, as consumers’ reliance on online ordering and home delivery reached an all-time high. E-commerce played a major role in the distribution and logistics industry’s growth across the past two decades, during which online shopping grew from less than 1% of all retail sales in 2000 to more than 11% in 2019.