In the frigid Nation’s Capital, the National Association of Wholesale-Distributors made a triumphant return to an in-person conference this week during its 2022 Executive Summit. The now-unusual nature of a live, in-person gathering was evident, especially based on the commentary of attendees and presenters. Yet attendees, sponsors, headliners and support staff excitedly leapt back to […]
Category: Featured Blog
Inventory Balance and Supply Chain Insight Elevate as Strategic Assets
When the pandemic began almost two years ago, the distribution industry struggled – like every other sector – to adjust overnight. Companies pivoted to adapt to COVID-related shutdowns while rapidly managing inventory to meet then-uncertain demand, says Peggy Carrieres, vice president of global sales enablement and supplier development for global electronic components distributor Avnet, in […]
Momentum, Lingering Headwinds Mark 2022 Distribution Outlook
U.S. distributors recorded a record year in 2021 for revenues while protecting margins — in spite of continued pandemic and supply chain pressures in the back half of 2021. And the outlook for 2022 is positive as economic and market indicators point to “new-normal” disruptors stabilizing. Those are a few of the takeaways from the […]
How Distributors Can Deliver Digital Self-Service Through Inventory Management
We all know that COVID-19 forced many distributors to rapidly increase their online presence to meet growing demands from customers for self-service and online product information. This shift to more digital self-service, paired with an increasing demand for remote interaction with sales reps, is the new norm. According to a recent study by McKinsey and […]
Modernizing Channel Relationships: There’s an App for That
An increasing number of digital platforms are emerging across distribution verticals, each with a unique value proposition. One example is a start-up called Factrees, which last month emerged from stealth mode with an AI-powered platform intended to digitally transform and modernize how business partners connect on the selling side in the construction products channel. In […]
The Critical Need for Joint Planning in 2022
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3 Ways Distributors Can ‘Feel ‘22’ and Build a Better Experience
As we move into 2022, I’m frequently asked how distributors should be thinking about the year ahead. My normal (short) answer is to say, “I don’t know.” With the pandemic, so much has changed in the past two years, and still much has remained the same. But maybe the more accurate answer is, “I don’t […]
5 Ways Distributors Can Make Warehouse Jobs More Attractive
Employers created an average of 550,000 new jobs each month during 2021, and the unemployment rate is nudging closer to pre-pandemic levels. But ask any employer and they’ll tell you about the struggles of hiring workers right now. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 11 million job openings at the end […]
Want to Enhance Your Website? Think Like a Content Storyteller
Digital transformation is a growing buzzword in distribution. But what exactly do distributors need to transform? Rethink the product-first focus of your website, for starters. That’s the advice of Andrew Walker, CEO of digital marketing firm Shift7 Digital. Working often with manufacturers and distributors, Walker explains in an MDM podcast (available below) that there is […]
Look Beyond Tech When Evaluating AI/Analytics for Sales & Marketing
One of three opportunities to drive sales success in the new year, according to Gartner’s Chief Sales Officer Leadership Vision 2022, is to prioritize tech investments to create an AI-augmented sales function. Gartner confirms 88 percent of CSOs are considering or already in the process of investing sales budgets in new technology to support artificial […]
NAW CEO Gives Executive Summit Preview
With just over two weeks to go until the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributor’s first in-person Executive Summit in two years, MDM spoke with the organization’s CEO Eric Hoplin about what’s in store for this year’s conference. Themed The Future of Distribution is Now, the three-day event will take place in Washington, D.C., from January 25-27. […]
The Argument for a Small Distributor Renaissance
“The higher-tech we get, the more we lose high touch.” That’s one of three reasons why Al Bates, principal of Distribution Performance Project and dean of financial performance benchmarking, sees opportunities emerging for smaller independent distributors in the current business cycle. (Listen to the podcast with the player below). The challenge, he says of these […]
December 2021 M&A Roundup: Genuine Parts’ Acquisition of Kaman Highlights Month
Genuine Parts Company became the talk of the distribution world in December when it entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Kaman Distribution Group under GPC’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Motion Industries, Inc. The acquisition from private investment firm Littlejohn & Co. has been valued at approximately $1.3 billion in cash, and the transaction is expected to […]
How Important are Cloud-Based Operations for Distributors?
In the distribution world, “the cloud” has become just as important as it is nebulous. And as much as the industry has changed over the past two years, distributors who adapt to volatile markets by streamlining operations via cloud-based tech are more likely to thrive during future disruptions, said Steve Levy, vice president of enterprise […]
Genuine Parts to Acquire Kaman Distribution Group Under Motion Subsidiary
Genuine Parts Company (NYSE: GPC) on Thursday announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Kaman Distribution Group under GPC’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Motion Industries, Inc. The acquisition of KDG from private investment firm Littlejohn & Co. is valued at approximately $1.3 billion, according to GPC. The transaction is expected to close in the […]
U.S. Distributors on Pace for Record $7-trillion Year in 2021
The U.S. wholesale trade sector is on pace to finish above $7 trillion in 2021 for the first time, based on MDM forecasts and data through the third quarter. That represents a 21% increase above 2020 revenues of $5.8 trillion, which were down 4.3% from the year before. The record boost represents actual revenues, not […]
5 Strategies to Create B2B Sales Agility
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed B2B sales forever. Remote selling has become the norm, and, according to McKinsey, more than 80% of B2B professionals expect remote selling to stay with us. This is an inflection point in B2B sales. To remain competitive, B2B sales organizations can reassess their sales infrastructure and identify new strategies to […]
Data Storytelling: 3 Easy Ways to Identify What Your Customers Value
We all want to know what our customers value so we can better focus our value creation strategies. Customer needs and pain points are the best drivers for a company’s growth strategy development and resource allocation. However, learning what customers value and aligning our offerings to those values is easier said than done. An organized […]
How People, Process, Experience and Trust Differentiate Distributors
When we think of differentiating ourselves, we often fall back on what kind of products/services we sell. But if we take a page out of Simon Sinek’s Start with Why, what we sell actually isn’t very differentiating, at least when it comes to loyalty. You may carry more products than your competitors, expanding your ability […]
3 Practices that Prevent Healthy Pricing in Distribution — and How to Fix Them
With the economy in flux, pricing, volatility and cost are all major factors that impact distributor profitability. However, distributors can find ways to maintain profitability despite these challenges. Over the past 18 months, many companies focused on meeting customer demand and managing profitability through targeted cost savings. Pricing remained an afterthought as they focused on […]
