Amazon poised to surpass Walmart as leading US retailer | DigiKey adds 175K new products to its portfolio | Amazon hiring small businesses for delivery
Amazon is expected to see 11.6% year-over-over sales growth in the US in 2023 to reach $477 billion and capture 42.2% of e-commerce dollars, which puts it on track to surpass Walmart's US sales, according to J.P. Morgan. Analysts expect Amazon's 2023 growth to be spurred primarily by factors such as "solid growth in under-penetrated categories," speedier delivery and enhanced generative artificial intelligence and business-to-business capabilities.
DigiKey Electronics has added 175,000 products to its portfolio in the past year. "As the industry makes adjustments after three years of a roller coaster ride, DigiKey continues its steadfast commitment to be the industry's distributor with the largest supplier portfolio and widest product offering," said Vice President Mike Slater.
Amazon is looking for small businesses in 23 states across the country to add to its delivery network in an effort to expand its last-mile delivery operations. The small businesses selected are expected to deliver an average of 30 packages a day for seven days a week, excluding major holidays, for estimated pay of $2.50 a package, according to Axios.
Distributors that became early adopters of artificial intelligence started rolling it out on a small scale and already have seen gains in sales and customer relationship management, writes Proton.ai founder Benj Cohen. Distributors that are hesitant to invest in AI due to factors such as cost or fear of failure should "[w]eigh the opportunity costs of waiting to embrace transformational technology against the risks of venturing into the unknown and start brainstorming steps to instill a culture of change in your organization," Cohen writes.
Kodiak Robotics signed an agreement with Loadsmith, a logistics platform provider, to provide Kodiak self-driving software to 800 trucks. The first portion of the autonomous trucks equipped with Kodiak software will be delivered in the second half of 2025, with Kodiak noting its software can work on any truck.
This infographic from Giraffe Social Media sets out five ways business-to-business marketers can boost lead generation. Tips cover creating effective blog content, offering free, downloadable guides in email marketing and appearing on relevant podcasts.
Boosting campaign efficiency is the primary objective for artificial intelligence use for 78% of marketers, while 63% say the technology will help generate new types of content, per NewtonX research. While marketers expect AI to help them reduce expenses by an average 13%, 48% say it will lead to smaller teams and budgets.
Leaders who experience "time poverty" can create "time affluence" by setting aside time for breaks as well as taking time to build relationships with your team and other stakeholders, writes Joel Constable, who leads leadership development at Intuit. "Not only will you be doing the kind of relationship-focused work that is often a hallmark of great leadership, but you may actually feel less rushed in the process," Constable writes.
Leaders can help stem the epidemic of loneliness that many employees suffer from by offering social opportunities, employee resource groups and creating a culture that fosters deeper connection, write authors and consultants Three and Jackie Carpenter. "Encouraging open communication, team-building activities and fostering positive relationships among employees leads to a supportive work environment," they write.
