NAW CEO Dirk Van Dongen has sent a letter to Vice President Mike Pence encouraging the federal government to use existing supply chains for essential product distribution. "In practice, ignoring existing private sector distribution networks is unworkable and will slow the delivery of products significantly," he writes.
Amazon had been prioritizing Prime members over nonmembers in setting delivery times for nonessential items as the e-commerce giant struggled to meet demand, but the company says the delivery times for members and nonmembers are now the same. The sudden surging demand due to panic-buying is similar to major shopping events like Cyber Monday, which the company would normally spend months planning for, former Amazon executive David Glick said.
Sysco is planning to offer its employees' services to retail customers during the coronavirus crisis. "We are in the process of pivoting our support to help the retail grocers in this country help keep their shelves in stock," said Kevin Hourican, CEO of the foodservice distribution company.
Boosting business by meeting customer needs and expectations in wholesale Wholesale customers want the same kind of convenience and immediate gratification that you want as a consumer. What do businesses need to do to deliver on that? Hear from experts at NetSuite, Logistics Bureau and SmartBrief in this webinar.
America's strong food supply chain will ensure that people have access to food during the coronavirus pandemic, writes Steven Spinner, CEO of United Natural Foods. UNFI and other distributors have boosted their output to keep grocers stocked with food and other essentials while taking measures to ensure employee safety.
The adaptability distributors have shown during the coronavirus pandemic will play a key role in how the US rebounds from the crisis, writes Thomas Gale. However, companies should beware making big decisions without proper data, which can be hard to come by during this unprecedented event.
State of the Wholesale Supply Chain Industry in 2020 The wholesale supply chain industry continues to look for ways to solve challenges around predicting shifting consumer preferences, volatility with suppliers and long lead times, and e-commerce growth that's increasing price transparency. Despite these obstacles, the industry collectively posted year-over-year sales growth of 8% in 2019, similar to the prior year. Get the key findings for Blue Ridge's wholesale supply chain industry 2020 survey.
Brands startled by the coronavirus outbreak are coming out of the shadows and launching new messaging, but consumer psychologist Kit Yarrow advises marketers to proceed with caution since consumers are "hypervigilant." In this podcast, Yarrow urges marketers to avoid sensitive issues such as physical distancing and focus on brand heritage, philanthropic efforts and "frontline workers" as heroes, noting an opportunity for "companies that looked maybe a little bit stale a couple months ago to look suddenly like solid and reassuring."
Salespeople should plan ahead with their managers before taking time off to ensure prospects will be taken care of during their absence, writes Lestraunda Alfred. When salespeople must take time off, managers should consider shifting quotas to other parts of the year or extending performance periods, Alfred writes.
Emergency leave protections under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act have left small employers "despondent" about implementing the new rules by the beginning of April, according to Littler Mendelson shareholder Jeff Nowak. Employers will need to pay for emergency paid family leave and sick leave on their own, but will be eligible for tax credits, and some employers must also provide up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave when employees are not able to work due to child care obligations related to the coronavirus pandemic.
The huge increase in telecommuting over the past couple of weeks creates a perfect storm of cybersecurity risks, writes Patrick Hopkins, noting that most corporations aren't using zero-trust approaches or well-implemented policies on data access. On the employee side, even those who have been trained in security practices are likely to be frazzled while working long hours in a home environment with multiple distractions, and the VPN servers they're depending on could be vulnerable to hacking.
As founder of a leadership consulting firm, James O'Brien shares tips on how to lead with purpose, change your perspective and grow your career. One key skill leaders need is conversational intelligence, according to O'Brien, which can change how leaders approach conversation, build purpose and strengthen teams.
According to NAW Institute Fellow Mark Dancer, "The hard truth about the Coronavirus is that extreme, unexpected events are becoming an essential new requirement of effective supply chain planning. In the current crisis, distributors are doing the crucial work of delivering critical products to essential businesses. As the virus peaks, distributors will play a leading role in rebooting our economy. As industries recover, a new normal will set it." Read his blog post.
In this November 2019 webinar sponsored by PROS, Innovate to Dominate author Mark Dancer discussed ways that distributors can lead in this age of B2B innovation to defeat disruption and reinvigorate our business economy through digital transformation. Joining Mark for a distributor’s perspective was Mike DeCata, President and CEO of Lawson Products. Replay the webinar here for big ideas and major takeaways for your business.
