How one retailer is making 'made in America' work

Reshoring Strategy & Supply Chain - A retailer (Bath and Body Works) has been reshoring its supply chain to the United States for over a decade [1] - 80% of the retailer's products are made in the United States, with about half of that production in central Ohio [3] - The company's foaming hand soap production timeline decreased from over 3 months and 13,000 miles to 3-4 weeks and less than 11 miles [4] - The retailer produces approximately 250 million units annually at one facility for Bath and Body Works [2] Investment & Automation - The creation of Beauty Park involved hundreds of millions of dollars of investment from vendors and government [5] - Automation plays a significant role in the manufacturing process, though human quality control and chemists are also essential [2][7][10] Replicability & Industry Applicability - Replicating this reshoring model is potentially more feasible for consumer packaged goods than for apparel or electronics due to raw materials and labor factors [6][7] - Freight costs make local production more economically sensible for heavier products [8]