Guest: Elie Katz of National Retail Solutions on helping mom-and-pop grocers survive; Congress takes action to avert a rail strike; What motivates companies to be more sustainable?

Our guest on this week's episode is Elie Katz, president & CEO of National Retail Solutions. The pandemic was especially hard on small  mom-and-pop grocers - the bodegas and small independent stores found on many street corners of America. Some closed for good, while others adopted new technologies to help them compete with  the bigger grocers on diverse inventory and home deliveries. We discussed how these grocers can not just compete, but thrive.Yesterday, Congress took action to impose a contract on railroad labor unions. It is not often that Congress dictates union contracts, but in this case it was felt necessary to avert a rail strike that could have crippled the economy. We discuss what was behind the decision and what effect it may have going forward for rail transportation.Sustainability is one of the biggest buzzwords in the economy right now, and that’s true for logistics companies as much as any other sector. But making supply chains more sustainable is a difficult job, and we all know that companies don’t like to spend money unless they can get a return on that investment. So that leaves the question of why exactly are companies trying to get more sustainable? DC Velocity's sister publication CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly  offers a podcast series called Supply Chain in the Fast Lane.  It is co-produced with the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals. The third season of eight episodes has launched with new episodes each Tuesday . The focus this season is on attracting and retaining labor in our supply chains.  Go to your favorite podcast platform to subscribe.Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:National Retail SolutionsSenate passes bill to avert a rail strikeSurvey: Companies see potential cost-savings in sustainability plansVisit DCVelocity.com for the latest news. Visit Supply Chain QuarterlyListen to CSCMP and Supply Chain Quarterly's Supply Chain in the Fast Lane podcastListen to Supply Chain Quarterly's Top 10 Supply Chain Threats podcastSend feedback about this podcast to [email protected] is sponsored by:  ApteanOther linksAbout DC VELOCITYSubscribe to DC VELOCITYSign up for our FREE newslettersAdvertise with DC VELOCITYTop 10 Supply Chain Management Podcasts