Through most of the pandemic, Kent International Inc. couldn’t import enough Chinese-made bicycles to supply Walmart Inc. and its other big U.S. retail customers.
But in recent months, the New Jersey-based wholesaler and manufacturer built a nice buffer—about a 10-week supply at its three warehouses in California, South Carolina, and New Jersey, compared to the pre-COVID normal of four to six weeks of stock. And the company is glad to have it, now that a new wave of shutdowns in China amid rising COVID-19 cases is roiling global supply chains.
