Increasingly, global supply chains in the lifestyle industry are calling on technology to manage disruption, accelerate speed to market and optimise decision making.

Companies are implementing advanced supply chain technologies, such as AI, to bring visibility and stability to volatile supply chains. But, for an industry that is already under pressure to respond to fast-moving trends and rising customer expectations, the speed of technological change could prove overwhelming.

Maersk’s recent research on supply chain resilience, Course for Change, revealed that, of the sectors surveyed, lifestyle firms — encompassing sports and outdoors, apparel and footwear — reported the second-highest losses related to supply chain disruption: 4.06% of annual revenue, compared with an overall average of 3.93%.

Lifestyle companies already automate most supply chain tasks, from risk detection and scenario simulation to managing supplier relationships and ensuring regulatory compliance. But many are failing to capitalize on the technology available to them.

Our survey of senior supply chain, logistics and operations leaders in the lifestyle industry underlines this. While a combined 71% say they’re investing in visibility tools and advanced technologies to increase supply chain resilience, a combined 58% admit that they cannot currently identify risks and lack the capability to transform supply chain data into actionable insights.

The technology glitch in supply chain resilience

"Resilience in our supply chain is not just about bouncing back – it's about preparation, flexibility and the ability to maintain service standards even when disruptions hit,” says Mònica Miró Robira, head of operations at women’s footwear retailer Alohas.

This is where technology can play a central role. Yet there seems to be a perception gap, with lifestyle companies adopting technologies without fully understanding their value. For example, while many invest in visibility tools, just 21% agree that predictive analytics tools are mission critical.

But brands that take a more focused approach are seeing tangible benefits.

Analysis of the lifestyle companies in our research that lost less than 1% of revenue to supply chain disruption in the past fiscal year – the ‘resilience frontrunners’ – indicates that, for those with the required knowhow, technology can be a core enabler of resilience.

• Frontrunners are consistently more advanced: nearly all see predictive analytics and digital twins as critical, while the majority also prioritise real-time risk visibility tools. In comparison, only around half of followers think the same. All frontrunners agree that the increased frequency and severity of disruptions dictates that new approaches are necessary to achieve and sustain supply chain resilience, whereas only 71% of followers say the same.

Frontrunners understand that digital transformation is more than just adopting new technologies. It demands the capabilities and resources to implement them effectively.

This knowledge has driven frontrunners to adopt a broader set of technological tools to strengthen resilience. Companies that use digital twin technology, for example, can simulate disruption scenarios and analyse them to optimise decision-making.

Lifestyle sector supply chains: what’s the fix?

So, how should companies turn technological potential into real resilience?

1. Setting clear priorities

An obvious start is to increase investment in supply chain technologies. Our survey suggests that the least resilient companies are already making efforts to catch the frontrunners. Almost half (49%) say they're enhancing risk detection and monitoring capabilities across the supply chain and 47% are adopting advanced technologies.

Yet, in the rush to strengthen resilience, many lifestyle companies risk developing a lack of technological focus. To avoid this, they should follow the frontrunners’ example of focusing on predictive analytics and digital twins. These tools support resilience by allowing companies to prepare for volatility, rather than having to react in the moment.

As Wesley Hind, director of operations at footwear brand ECCO, explains: “We look to apply machine learning to our statistical forecasting and then harness AI for scenario planning, so that we can constantly run risk assessments on the supply chain and improve our decision making.”

Where gaps persist, lifestyle companies can collaborate closely with logistics service providers (LSPs) to access specialised skills and tools without having to build up every capability in house. Maersk’s Visibility Studio, for example, combines artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics to generate predictive estimated arrival times. This gives lifestyle companies a clearer view of when goods will arrive, enabling them to reallocate stock, plan launches or communicate with customers before disruptions escalate.

2. Turning data into action

Hind warns of the risks in implementing too many technologies at once: “The mass influx of technologies has led to a mass influx of data. There’s such abundance that it’s leading to decision-making paralysis,” he explains. “So, I’d say the most important thing right now is to understand which technology is actually adding value.”

Such understanding can only be achieved through data-driven insights. But many lifestyle companies acknowledge that they still lack the ability to use data to develop foresight, ranking real-time risk visibility and actionable insights as the second most-needed resource for strengthening resilience.  As Mònica Miró Robira, head of operations at women’s footwear brand Alohas, explains: “We analyse the impact and our responses and learn how to improve. This has helped us build a more proactive mindset. For example, we’re now considering opening a second international hub to reduce risk from global trade disruptions. We're not just reacting – we're looking ahead and planning for possible scenarios."

LSPs can also offer support here. Maersk’s Risk Management solution maps global disruptions directly onto a company’s shipment data and then translates those signals into clear recommendations. This provides lifestyle companies with the right insights at the right time to make informed decisions.

3. LSPs as technology partners

Clearly, LSPs have an important role to play in helping lifestyle companies adopt and leverage innovative technologies more effectively. Solutions such as Maersk’s Supply Chain Management (SCM) platform and Supply Chain Resilience Model enhance supply chain visibility and agility. These Maersk solutions support predictive capabilities, enabling companies to anticipate disruptions and strengthen their logistics infrastructure in advance.  support predictive capabilities, enabling companies to anticipate disruptions and strengthen their logistics infrastructure in advance.

Many lifestyle companies are already incorporating visibility tracking and predictive tools into their supply chain ecosystems.  But frontrunners are more likely than followers. by a margin of 27 percentage points, to use LSPs to map their entire supply networks for more effective risk identification and mitigation.

What to do next for supply chain resilience

To use technology more effectively, companies should focus on four priorities:

• Digital twins and predictive analytics – these are essential tools for scenario planning and forecasting.
• Invest in real-time visibility and multi-tier mapping – these are crucial for identifying and addressing blind spots in the supply chain.
• Focus on actionable data – define which insights truly matter for the most effective measures.
• Engage LSPs strategically – harness technology capabilities, from risk modelling to compliance support, in order to scale resilience.
• Develop your people – upskill teams to interpret and act on digital insights.

The goal is to transition from experimentation to efficient strategic use of technology. Frontrunners have already laid this foundation and are well on the way to making supply chain resilience a reality.

Be ready for intelligent supply chain resilience to go all the way! Explore the full Course for Change report and learn more about Maersk Supply Chain Resilience Model, or for more logistics trends and insights, read and download The Logistics Trend Map.

About FT Longitude

FT Longitude is a specialist thought leadership agency, owned by the Financial Times, working with a wide range of the world’s most prestigious B2B brands across Europe, the US and Asia-Pacific. FT Longitude’s 80+ clients are concentrated in the professional services, financial services, and technology sectors, but also stretch into energy, infrastructure, manufacturing and other industries. Headquartered in London, the company was founded in 2011 and was selected as one of Chief Marketer 200, Top Marketing Agencies of 2020, an Inc. 5000 Europe in 2018, an FT 1000 company in 2017, and a 2016 Leap 100 high growth UK company by City A.M. and Mishcon de Reya. It is led by founders Rob Mitchell (CEO), James Watson (COO) and Gareth Lofthouse (Chief Revenue Officer). For more information: visit longitude.ft.com.