The Conference Board Leading Economic Index declined by 0.8% in October, marking the 19th consecutive monthly fall on the broad gauge of US economic health. The Conference Board continues to expect "a very short recession," citing inflation, interest rate hikes and slowing consumer spending as contributing factors.
Associated Food Stores has introduced a new concept of its traditional Macey's stores called Macey's Market in Park City, Utah. The store features a smaller format created for centralized neighborhoods that allows for curation of more hyper-localized products. The store includes a pharmacy, a Starbucks, locally made cheeses, locally sourced produce and a foodservice department that serves gourmet sandwiches and sushi.
Automation is only part of smart warehousing, which involves strategies specific to different industries and also includes "high-quality processes, respect for the value of employees and a deep understanding of international logistics and global supply chain dynamics," writes Thomas Jorgensen, CEO of Green Worldwide Shipping. Jorgensen explores each of these factors and their contributions to a holistic warehousing approach.
James Dorn of Dorn Group talks about the company's recent survey that found customers prioritize price over availability and support in distributor relationships. "You can use price as a great way to steal market share, to go after customers in new ways to take cost out of their business -- price being the No. 1 aspect today -- it's an awesome opportunity to defend your share and grow yours," Dorn says.
Large businesses with deep pockets have an advantage in building resilience through tactics such as re-shoring and employing "just-in-case" inventories, but smaller enterprises can compete on these fronts if they "weaponize" their size and develop an "information advantage," suggests Bindiya Vakil, Resilinc founder. Valik highlights steps to achieve the transformation, such as supply chain mapping and supplier collaboration and working with financing to assess cost risks.
Three marketing leaders share how holiday strategies more commonly used in consumer marketing can be applied for B2B audiences. Among the tips, be active on social media with visual storytelling and anticipate the holiday needs of buyers and create messaging to solve their unique problems.
The current interest-rate environment could favor sale-leaseback transactions, according to Alan Pontius of Marcus & Millichap, who noted that these transactions might be more appealing than seeking financing. "It's a terrific way for a company to tap underutilized equity and either pay down debt, use it as a debt alternative, or use it to finance capital improvements designed for the business," Pontius said.
Securities and Exchange Commission officials have told executives that some disclosure requirements for greenhouse-gas emissions within proposed climate rules might be scaled back, sources say. SEC officials reportedly have acknowledged that disclosure requirements for Scope 3 emissions could face legal challenges that undermine the broader proposal.
Experience three days of excellent networking opportunities, cutting-edge content, and educational programming for leaders in the wholesale-distribution industry at NAW's Executive Summit Jan. 30 - Feb. 1. Hear from world-class speakers and explore issues critical to the industry. Be prepared for what's next and learn new strategies to get there first. View agenda and registration information here.
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