Earlier this year, MDM lead a research project where we surveyed a few thousand customers of distributors to measure how the pandemic has changed the way these customers want to interact with suppliers. It dug into different points on the buyer journey to better understand which touchpoints and capabilities customers expect and value, and to […]
Elizabeth Galentine
Download this Issue as a PDF: August 25 2021
To continue reading this article you must be a paid subscriber. Subscribe to MDM Already Subscribed? Click here to log-in | Forgot your password? The post Download this Issue as a PDF: August 25 2021 appeared first on Modern Distribution Management.
Are Distributors Still the Future of Distribution?
• A new business cycle emerged due to COVID-19 in which business buyers look a lot like consumers. • Distributors who don’t meet the changing demands of these B2B buyers risk obsoletion. • There are paths a company can take to stay relevant, but they involve a radical rethinking of the business model. The […]
Chicago Fed National Activity Index Up in July
Led by improvements in production-related indicators, the Chicago Fed National Activity Index (CFNAI) increased to +0.53 in July from –0.01 in June. Three of the four broad categories of indicators used to construct the index made positive contributions in July, and three categories improved from June. The index’s three-month moving average, CFNAI-MA3, moved up to […]
Global Industrial Appoints Alex Tomey as SVP, Chief Merchandising Officer
Port Washington, New York-based Global Industrial Company (NYSE:GIC) on Monday announced the appointment of Alex Tomey to the newly created position of Senior Vice President and Chief Merchandising Officer. Tomey will report to Barry Litwin, Global Industrial CEO, and will be responsible for developing and driving Global Industrial’s merchandise strategy and operations, according to the […]
Talent Development Begins with You
We noticed something interesting recently when cross-referencing MDM subscriber preferences with our latest audience survey data. Distributors consistently rank the topic of talent/talent management as one of their areas of least interest. However, when asked to share top pain points and priorities for the remainder of 2021, issues surrounding talent management make up the majority […]
Download this Issue as a PDF: August 10 2021
To continue reading this article you must be a paid subscriber. Subscribe to MDM Already Subscribed? Click here to log-in | Forgot your password? The post Download this Issue as a PDF: August 10 2021 appeared first on Modern Distribution Management.
Commentary: Talent Development Begins with You
To continue reading this article you must be a paid subscriber. Subscribe to MDM Already Subscribed? Click here to log-in | Forgot your password? We noticed something interesting recently when cross-referencing MDM subscriber preferences with our latest audience survey data. Distributors consistently rank the topic of talent/talent management as one of their areas of least […]
Does the Future of Independent Distribution Depend on B2B Marketplaces?
In the last few years alone, B2B marketplaces have grown at an incredible rate. The total value of merchandise sold through them, known gross merchandise value (GMV), for many is already in the range of hundreds of millions of dollars — or even billions. Their success is a good thing for distributors, say digital platform […]
Manage What You Can Control: A Solid Strategy for the Back Half of 2021
If you’ll recall, top themes that came out of the first quarter’s MDM-Baird quarterly survey included inflation concerns and supply chain struggles. It’s more of the same for 2Q21, including the fact that distributors still remain optimistic about growth. There is good reason for the optimism: The second quarter ended with revenues 7.7% above Baird’s […]
Commentary: Manage What You Can Control: A Solid Strategy for the Back Half of 2021
To continue reading this article you must be a paid subscriber. Subscribe to MDM Already Subscribed? Click here to log-in | Forgot your password? If you’ll recall, top themes that came out of the first quarter’s MDM-Baird quarterly survey included inflation concerns and supply chain struggles. It’s more of the same for 2Q21, including the […]
Download this Issue as a PDF: July 25 2021
To continue reading this article you must be a paid subscriber. Subscribe to MDM Already Subscribed? Click here to log-in | Forgot your password? The post Download this Issue as a PDF: July 25 2021 appeared first on Modern Distribution Management.
Don’t Get Stung by a Delayed Reaction to Customers’ Growing Digital Expectations
On vacation last week, I was knee-deep in the ocean when I felt a sudden stinging sensation on my leg. “Oh, you were stung by a jellyfish,” you’re probably thinking. It’s the obvious answer — and the correct one. But despite the physical pain I was in, I remained oblivious to the source of it, […]
ADI Global Distribution’s Digital Investments Center on Convenient Customer Access
• To date, Laura Phelan and her team have redesigned 15 e-commerce sites in 11 languages. • ADI has also introduced new customer-specific videos on its websites. • Phelan led a redesign of ADI’s mobile app, available in Android and Apple stores. ADI Global Distribution’s Laura Phelan’s work is a prime example of how a […]
Commentary: Don’t Get Stung by a Delayed Reaction to Customers’ Growing Digital Expectations
To continue reading this article you must be a paid subscriber. Subscribe to MDM Already Subscribed? Click here to log-in | Forgot your password? On vacation last week, I was knee-deep in the ocean when I felt a sudden stinging sensation on my leg. “Oh, you were stung by a jellyfish,” you’re probably thinking. It’s […]
Download this Issue as a PDF: July 10 2021
To continue reading this article you must be a paid subscriber. Subscribe to MDM Already Subscribed? Click here to log-in | Forgot your password? The post Download this Issue as a PDF: July 10 2021 appeared first on Modern Distribution Management.
Top Distributors Look to Put the Pandemic in the Rearview with Critical Growth Initiatives
Despite the turbulence of 2020, you will notice there were not many shifts in the rankings for MDM’s 2021 Top Distributors lists, with the biggest moves coming out of mergers and acquisitions rather than company performance. It certainly speaks to the stability of the industry during unstable times. The rankings reflect 2020 North American revenues, […]
Commentary: Top Distributors Look to Put the Pandemic in the Rearview with Critical Growth Initiatives
To continue reading this article you must be a paid subscriber. Subscribe to MDM Already Subscribed? Click here to log-in | Forgot your password? Despite the turbulence of 2020, you will notice there were not many shifts in the rankings for MDM’s 2021 Top Distributors lists, with the biggest moves coming out of mergers and […]
Download this Issue as a PDF: June 25 2021
To continue reading this article you must be a paid subscriber. Subscribe to MDM Already Subscribed? Click here to log-in | Forgot your password? The post Download this Issue as a PDF: June 25 2021 appeared first on Modern Distribution Management.
How to Avoid Death-by-Commodity Fate on an E-Commerce Platform
Scott Barrows, CEO and co-founder of chemicals industry B2B platform BluePallet got his e-commerce start in the event ticketing arena, creating a platform eventually acquired by Live Nation and Ticketmaster. Being a part of this early adopter e-commerce platform gave Barrows valuable insight into the pros and cons of how such digital transformation can affect […]
