Although same-day delivery is typically viewed as a retailer initiative, it is creating new operational problems for suppliers. FedEx recently launched FedEx SameDay Local, providing two-hour and end-of-day delivery through more than 1,000 providers via OneRail.

Retailers didn’t just “add artificial intelligence (AI)” in 2025. They wired it into the parts of the business that decide what gets ordered, where it gets shipped, and how fast a supplier gets paid. That’s why AI feels different now. It’s not a feature. It’s the operating system. And here’s the part suppliers need to internalize: when retailers automate decisions, they also automate penalties . What used to be a one-off issue resolved by a helpful merchant or replenishment m