Federal regulators say large grocery chains boxed out their smaller rivals during the pandemic to keep shelves stocked amid product shortages and distribution bottlenecks. The Federal Trade Commission in a new report says large retailers used their scale to pressure suppliers during widespread supply-chain disruptions, including by putting stricter delivery requirements into place and fining vendors that didn’t comply. The WSJ Logistics Report writes those demands led many suppliers to route more food and household goods toward the larger retailers. The report is the latest to take a tough look at the turmoil in retail markets during the pandemic, this time with an eye on competitive leverage that companies exercised. The FTC says revenue growth at grocers outpaced the price increases from suppliers, suggesting that higher profits "warrant further inquiry." The report comes as consumers continue to cope with high prices for everyday items at grocery stores.

Shein is opening up its pioneering supply chain to competitors. The China-founded discount apparel retailer plans to market its small-batch manufacturing model to global brands and designers. The WSJ’s Shen Lu reports the move represents a shift in business strategy as Shein faces challenges in the U.S., its biggest market. Under the plan, Shein would make its supply-chain infrastructure and technology available to outside brands and designers, allowing them to leverage Shein’s system for testing out new fashion items in small batches and track how popular they are with consumers. That on-demand manufacturing model has helped the company rapidly expand from a discount domestic apparel seller to a global fashion brand that sells to more than 150 countries. But Shein is facing looming challenges in Western markets, where it has faced pushback from regulators and stiff competition, including from another budget retailer with Chinese roots, Temu.

• Amazon is turning its attention toward fending off e-commerce rivals Temu and Shein. (WSJ)
   

Some brands are starting to weigh whether to raise prices to consumers to cover the rising costs resulting from shipping disruptions in the Red Sea. The WSJ’s Jennifer Williams reports toy company Build-A-Bear is grappling with the question amid higher shipping costs and longer waits to get the materials it needs to make its plush toys. For now, the company is among a growing number of shippers that are rerouting goods and finding ways to cut costs elsewhere. Shipping rates rose sharply late last year as companies diverted shipments and turned to airfreight amid Houthi attacks on shipping. Costs have more recently come down but remain far higher than last year. Freightos says the cost to ship a container from China to the U.S. East Coast was up 149% for the week through March 15 compared with the first week of November before the attacks began.

• Yemen-based Houthi rebels reportedly told China and Russia their ships can sail safely through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. (Bloomberg)
• Resurgent attacks by Somali pirates are adding a new complication for shipping companies navigating increasingly chaotic waters. (Reuters)
• A cargo ship was forced to flee the port in Haiti’s Port-au-Prince after coming under gunfire. (TradeWinds)

Home sales rose in February, the first time in more than two years that sales increased for two straight months. (WSJ)

A measure of manufacturing activity in the Philadelphia region remained in expansion territory in March. (MarketWatch)

FedEx’s quarterly profit jumped 14% to $879 million despite declining revenue from last year. (WSJ)

The U.S. is accusing Apple of monopolizing the smartphone market in a landmark antitrust lawsuit. (WSJ)

Korean Air Lines plans to order 33 Airbus A350 wide-body jets in a deal valued at $13.7 billion. (WSJ)

Japan Airlines is buying a total of 42 airplanes from Airbus and Boeing to be delivered over the next decade. (WSJ)

Airline chiefs want to meet with Boeing’s board over safety and production problems that have upended the industry’s plans. (WSJ)

Amazon is reducing flights in its air network but boosting capacity by adding larger aircraft. (Loadstar)

A.P. Moeller-Maersk will carve out its Svitzer towage operator as a separate listed business. (Dow Jones Newswires)

Maersk is restoring a Panama Canal express service between China and the U.S. East and Gulf coasts that it suspended amid weak demand. (Journal of Commerce)

Delivery app DoorDash is testing drone delivery from a Wendy’s restaurant in Christiansburg, Va. (Chain Store Age)

• Corporate security executives are beefing up supplier oversight following extensive supply-chain attacks.
• Tech job seekers without AI skills are facing a new reality: lower salaries and fewer roles.
• Distress at regional banks has spurred some buyout firms to invest in a sector they typically ignore.
• The SEC has faced opposition to its climate rule, but one group seems mostly placated after some final changes: small and midsize businesses.
• 🎧 Listen to Amazon’s chief security officer discuss how his team implements artificial intelligence to help protect the online retailer’s customers.

Paul Page is editor of WSJ Logistics Report. Reach him at paul.page@wsj.com.

Follow the WSJ Logistics Report team: @PaulPage, @bylizyoung and @pdberger. Follow the WSJ Logistics Report on X at @WSJLogistics.