Sonepar is consolidating some West Coast businesses to streamline operations and "focus on initiatives that have the highest potential for success; from enhancing inventory and service levels with a stronger supply chain, expanding digital support to more customers, or delivering more value-add service," says Sonepar North America President Rob Taylor. Independent Electric Supply's operations in California will merge with OneSource Distributors and Arizona branches will merge with Quality Electric Distributors. QED's Las Vegas division will join Codale Electric and Independent Electric Supply's utility operations will be folded into Sonepar's Irby Utilities.

Kroger's new 57,000-square-foot "spoke" facility in Johnstown, Colo., will grow the grocer's reach in the area by partnering with a 300,000-square-foot Ocado-automated fulfillment center in Aurora and acting as an intermediate location for delivery orders. The grocer runs 15 such spoke sites that enable it to expand delivery service by up to 200 miles.

AI startup Anthropic, an OpenAI competitor, will receive an initial $1.25 billion investment from Amazon, with the total potentially reaching $4 billion. Anthropic plans to use Amazon Web Services for its "mission critical workloads" and to use AWS chips for its AI software.

US authorities have temporarily shuttered some crossing points at the Mexico border to help Customs and Border Protection process more migrants, but the situation is making it more difficult for some goods to enter the country and Union Pacific has confirmed a disruption in freight traffic. "(Our) other gateways cannot handle the extra traffic and we are notifying customers of an embargo at Eagle Pass, effective immediately," said the railroad last week.

Enhancing warehouse safety requires a holistic, multipronged approach that includes regular updates of safety protocols, workforce engagement and technological investments, writes Alex Selwitz, SEO director for Red Stag Fulfillment. Selwitz advises companies to take a number of proactive steps, including adding clear signage, enhancing visibility and layout design and offering employees safety training, to not only protect workers, but also to enhance productivity and operational efficiencies.

Retailers are pointing last-minute holiday shoppers to physical stores in an effort to limit shipping costs, for customers and themselves, and ensure that gifts are on time. Social media posts, ads and in-store discounts will encourage a shift from ecommerce to brick and mortar amid rising rates from parcel delivery companies.

More than 9 in 10 companies around the world involved in manufacturing or B2B sales plan to increase investment in AI over the next year, according to a survey by Lucidworks, a search solutions supplier. Four in 10 survey respondents hold a positive view of the technology, with security concerns and the accuracy of outputs cited as the biggest concerns.

Google plans to test an AI-powered "conversational experience" for English language ad creation in the US and UK following a small pilot. Google also is offering an opt-in feature for automatically created assets for Search Ads that are based on contextual signals, with the ability to remove those assets later.

Some 57% of employers are monitoring the office attendance of employees, with around half relying on manager feedback while 41% are tracking workers via methods such as badge swipes, according to CBRE. Workforce experts discuss how employers are veering toward a punishment approach for non-office attendance, but some warn against methods like badge monitoring, which could mark a shift back to a focus on presenteeism instead of productivity.

Emotionally intelligent leaders recognize the value and limitations of empathy while also understanding how emotions affect future behaviors, writes Nick Hobson of Apex Scoring System.

Amplify your industry prowess at NAW's Executive Roundtables. Select from pressing topics, glean insights from experts, and participate in enriching cohort discussions. Transition from learning to implementing, fostering growth and collaboration. NAW - Where Innovation Meets Insight.  Agenda and registration information is available here. 

Attending the Innovators Summit lets you stay updated with the latest industry developments and remain ahead of your competitors. By being aware of emerging trends and disruptive technologies, you can proactively adapt your business strategies, identify new revenue streams, and gain a competitive edge in the market. Learn more.

Interested in membership with NAW? Reach out and let us know how we can help you.