BRIDGING THE AMERICAS: HOW DEMAND-SYNCHRONIZED MODELS CAN REDUCE US RETAIL WASTE WHILE STRENGTHENING US-LATIN AMERICA TRADE CORRIDORS

Resumo

The objective of this article is to analyze how the implementation of demand-synchronized procurement models acts as a dual catalyst: reducing chronic inventory waste in US retail while simultaneously strengthening nearshoring supply chains in Latin America. The research utilizes a systematic literature review combined with comparative analysis of anonymized case studies involving Small and Medium Enterprises. The central thesis posits that the transition from long supply chains to regional corridors is not merely a post-COVID geopolitical risk mitigation strategy, but an operational lever that enables asset-light operations for SMEs. The results demonstrate that Latin America’s geographical proximity coupled with digital expertise tools reduces lead times by up to 60% compared to Asia allowing American retailers to operate with fractional inventories and reduce dead stock waste by up to 35%. It is concluded that commercial strengthening between the US and Latin America depends on the symbiosis between regional manufacturing capacity and digital trade intelligence democratizing SME access to global value chains.