Field Study: Global Supply Chains — Part 2

Investigating the current state and future of global e-commerce supply chains.

This post is part of a five-part Field Study by Alpaca exploring the current state of global e-commerce supply chains and the opportunities we see ahead. Use these quick links to read the entire series: Part 1: Global Supply Chains, Part 2: Delivery, Part 3: Cross-Boarder, Part 4: Returns, Part 5: Conclusion.

I was visiting friends in the Finger Lakes region of New York this past weekend, which famously housed Mark Twain, Harriet Tubman, and the Erie Canal. Built in 1825 for $7.1M, the largest public works project for that time, the Erie Canal put New York on the map as the leader in population, industry, and economic trade. And it allowed for goods from as far as Europe and Asia to make their way to the Great Plains, establishing ties from the Midwestern states to New England that would endear the Union together economically once civil war broke out. But more than anything, it enabled cheap, fast delivery.

To haul one ton of goods from Buffalo to New York City prior to 1825 cost upwards of $100, and that number fell all the way to $10 once the Canal opened. In addition, the time to ship items from Albany to Buffalo was cut by a third, and what was once a two-week trip by stagecoach was shortened to five days.