SpartanNash reports 5.2% increase in first-quarter sales | US factory activity slows as China data mixed | Gordon Food Service continues Texas expansion in Humble
SpartanNash's fiscal first-quarter net sales grew 5.2% compared to the year-ago quarter, boosted by wholesale and retail division performance and rising prices. The Mich.-based wholesaler reported $11.3 million in profit, with revenues rising to $2.91 billion, up from $2.76 billion a year earlier.
Manufacturing activity in the US contracted for the seventh consecutive month in May and new orders fell, but inflation of input material prices slowed and employment reached a nine-month high, according to the Institute for Supply Management. Meanwhile, China's manufacturing surveys provided contradictory signals, with the Caixin purchasing managers' index showing slight expansion while official data pointed to a deeper contraction in manufacturing.
The so-called Great Resignation may be over, with the rate of Americans quitting their jobs declining to pre-pandemic levels after reaching record highs in 2021 and 2022. The worker quit rate dropped to 2.4% in April, down from a peak of 3% a year earlier, according to Labor Department data.
In a tight labor market, industrial distributors need to focus on developing and recruiting talent, modernizing recruitment practices, developing structured onboarding programs, investing in employees and increasing engagement by improving internal communications, says Bharani Nagarathnam, co-founder of the Talent Development Council at Texas A&M University. "Not any single practice is going to make a huge difference, but if you're able to improve a number of these practices, it's going to make a big difference. At the end of the day, more than ever, growth depends on people," Nagarathnam says.
Rob Robinson of Telstra Purple EMEA looks at supply chain cybersecurity and how it affects organizations and the wider "digital ecosystem." Chief information security officers should conduct regular third-party vendor audits and ensure zero-trust strategies are in place to lessen "the risk of supply chain breaches impacting businesses by making security inside the perimeter of a system far more robust," Robinson writes.
Lori Highby, digital business-to-business marketing expert, explains the 6 top mistakes B2B marketers make, including suffering from the "We-We Syndrome," not maximizing the potential of email or video and trying to be all things to everyone. "The reality is if you are trying to be everything to everyone, you will ultimately be nothing to no one," Highby warns.
Extending credit to clients can cause a sales jump of up to 50%, and planning for certain factors tempers the risk, business credit expert Marco Carbajo writes. Carbajo outlines how a business should evaluate credit terms, qualifications and three other elements to protect itself when offering credit.
Reliving the details of each day can be self-sabotaging, but you can quash your "angry inner critic" by framing questions the right way, leadership expert Dan Rockwell writes. Asking "What are you glad you did today?" and "How did you serve your future self today?" can prompt positive, forward-thinking views.
After initially determining how your team typically functions, three strategies can help you facilitate colleagues successfully. Focus on participation, a logical process and team rules, author and speaker Paul Thornton advises.
