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The Big Story: Why the Supply Chain is Suddenly Everyone’s Business

Greetings! I just moderated a panel at Macquarie Capital where executives from Accenture and a super-cool startup called Atelier went deep on a topic that doesn’t always get the spotlight it deserves: the supply chain! And not just any supply chain — the beauty supply chain, which, as it turns out, might be one of the most intricate and misunderstood systems in the consumer world. $ACN ( ▲ 0.84% ) $MQ

The conversation got me thinking about how much trade policy and the current economic environment are forcing all of us — investors, marketers, founders, even consumers — to understand systems we’ve mostly ignored. For a long time, supply chain management was truly an operational backend issue. But after the last few years of uncertainty, it’s become clear that having your sh*t together (logistically speaking) is central to product strategy, innovation, and even brand trust.

Chances are, you’re familiar with how fast beauty trends move in the TikTok era. One viral post can send a relatively unknown product into overnight stardom (see: Fazit). Something new I just learned is how long it can take to bring a new product to market. Between sourcing ingredients, developing formulas, managing compliance, securing packaging, and navigating shipping across multiple continents, the process can take 6 to 18 months, or more. When’s the last TikTok trend that was cool a year later?

So what happens when your audience is moving at the speed of TikTok, but your infrastructure is stuck in an era of Docusign contracts and cross-oceanic bottlenecks? You get the perfect storm: high demand, limited supply, frustrated customers, and a race to modernize one of the most globalized industries on Earth.

As Atelier’s CEO and Co-Founder Nick Benson pointed out on the panel, the recent tariff drama is indicative of a much larger trend that has all but made supply chain complexities the norm. In fact, over the past few years, the global supply chain has been fairly consisrently under duress:

• 2017–2019: U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods disrupted trade routes and introduced new compliance and cost burdens for manufacturers.

• 2020–2021: The COVID-19 pandemic exposed just how dependent brands were on single suppliers or far-flung factories. Shipping container shortages and port delays became the norm.

• 2021: A single ship (the Ever Given) got stuck in the Suez Canal and held up an estimated $9 billion in global trade per day, according to the BBC.

• Today: The U.S. has reintroduced tariffs on electric vehicles, batteries, and semiconductors from China, reigniting uncertainty in international sourcing and manufacturing.

Each of these events has put stress on an already brittle, outdated system. What used to be an invisible network is now a business liability, and therefore, a top priority for C-suites across industries.

And the beauty industry is uniquely vulnerable. Consider a serum or lipstick that may be assembled from active ingredients sourced from South Korea or Morocco, with packaging components made in China or Germany, formulation and filling done in France, the U.S., or Italy, and then warehousing and distribution managed across multiple time zones. It’s the kind of stuff nightmares are made of.

One small delay in any part of that chain, whether it’s a port shutdown, a spike in freight costs, or a shortage of raw materials, can set production back months. And if that product was riding the tailwinds of a fleeting consumer trend, you can forget about catching the wave.

At the event, Macquarie’s Chief Economist, David Doyle, presented some fascinating data about how trade policy shapes our behaviors as consumers. Tariffs aren’t just abstract geopolitical chess pieces: they can dictate what a brand formulates, how it packages, where it manufactures, and how much it costs you at checkout.

Now, brands are doing a bunch of things to de-risk, but the uncertainty is making things hard. Reshoring isn’t an immediate fix — it takes months if not years to move a factory or plant, and that’s if we even have the labor supply to fill those roles, as I’ve written about before. Some brands, like E.L.F. Beauty, are raising prices. $ELF ( ▲ 0.76% )  

As the Game of Thrones quote goes, “chaos is a ladder,” and new technologies are emerging to meet the demands of the new normal. A few examples:

• Atelier is building a product innovation platform that helps teams coordinate across sourcing, manufacturing, and marketing, using AI to provide a “single source of truth” that speeds up decision-making. Think generative AI and VR tools to help teams more easily figure out what’s feasible and then make it happen.

• Flexport is using machine learning to predict arrival times, optimize shipping routes, and flag risks before they happen.

• L’Oréal, one of the largest players in the game, is experimenting with AI and blockchain to track sustainability metrics and improve demand forecasting.

On the bleeding edge, companies like IBM and Honeywell are exploring quantum computing applications for supply chain optimization, like modeling port delays in real time or calculating the most efficient inventory placement across warehouses. $IBM ( ▲ 1.66% )  $HON ( ▼ 0.09% )  

As a marketing person, I am generally thinking in terms of product and commercial innovation, but brands today also need to prioritize system innovation. In the beauty space, especially, we’re seeing a shift from a marketing-driven model to one where supply chain agility is a brand advantage.

But it’s not all blocking and tackling. Accenture’s Audrey Depraeter-Montacel, Managing Director and Beauty Lead, pointed out that beauty is still all about the emotional connection brands and products are able to build with their consumers. The difference now is that we have more data to make those connections even stronger.

Daily Rip Live: Pharma Bro Martin Shkreli has THOUGHTS About Quantum Computing (But No Comment on Who Really Punched Elon)

Every weekday, my co-host Shay Boloor and I cover the biggest market news and events LIVE on Stocktwits’ morning show, The Daily Rip Live. Monday’s show was a little off the beaten path as we got into a heated debate about quantum computing with former “pharma bro” Martin Shkreli.

Quantum isn't a space I have gotten too deep into, so it was fun to hear passionate bull and bear case perspectives. Here’s the deal: Quantum bears think that the current tech and companies building in it are decades upon decades away from commercial viability. Some detractors, like Martin, liken these stocks to a pipe dream.

Bulls believe that quantum will necessarily scale with AI and increased compute needs. They point to real-world investments by large pharma, biotech, and AI companies. To me, it feels like early-stage biotech or Internet stocks — very nascent, very “work in progress,” but a lot of very influential people and companies are investing a TON of money into it. So there has to be a “there” there, right?

That’s to be determined. One thing this conversation did shine a light upon was just how difficult it is for investors to navigate some of these crazy-sophisticated concepts that are more easily discussed in a lab at Stanford than in everyday conversation! We aim to unpack these trends on Stocktwits in a way that helps ground people in what's going on so they can make their own choices based on their investment goals.

Back to our regularly scheduled market news coverage TODAY at 9 AM ET!

Now Here’s a Chart

ChatGPT reached 100 million users faster than any other platform, via Bond Capital’s new AI report. GPT’s parent company, OpenAI, hit $10 billion in annual recurring revenue this year after posting $3.7 billion in all of 2024.

Reading List

• Amazon to spend $20B on data centers in Pennsylvania, including one next to a nuclear power plant (AP News) $AMZN ( ▲ 1.89% )  

  • Related post: Why America is Going Nuclear

• Apple’s WWDC underwhelms on AI, but software gets biggest facelift in over a decade (CNBC) $AAPL ( ▲ 1.0% )  

• Warner Bros. Discovery Breakup Cues Hollywood’s Latest Succession Drama As Two New Companies Take Shape (Deadline) $WBD ( ▲ 7.28% )  

• China extends an olive branch to Western auto giants over rare earth shortage (CNBC) $MP ( ▲ 13.42% )  

• WPP CEO Mark Read to retire at challenging juncture for agency giant (MarketingDive) $WPPGY ( ▲ 0.96% )  

• Tech companies are spending big on 2025 NYC races (City and State NY) $ABNB ( ▲ 1.23% )  $DASH ( ▲ 1.27% )  $UBER ( ▲ 1.42% )  

• S'mores McFlurry arrives at McDonald's, but not for long. Here's what's in it. (USA Today) $MCD ( ▼ 1.86% )  

🎧 Now playing: “The Little Mess You Made” - The Favors (Ashe and FINNEAS) [Editor’s Note: This is the first time I’ve seen a music video shot vertically! Sign of the times!]

Tuesday Thursday Saturday is written by Katie Perry, owner of Ursa Major Media, which provides fractional marketing services and strategy in software, tech, consumer products, professional services, and other industries. She is also the co-host of Stocktwits’ Daily Rip Live show.

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Disclaimer: The contents here reflect recaps and summaries of pre-reported or published data, news, and trends. I have cited sources and context for the information provided to the best of my ability. The purpose of the newsletter is to inform and educate on larger trends shaping business and culture — this is NOT investment advice. As an investor, you should always do your own research before making any decisions about your money or your portfolio.