US retail sales grew 0.36% in March from the previous month and 2.72% year-over-year, according to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor. On CNBC's Squawk Box, Steve Liesman dives deeper into the report and the economic factors affecting consumer spending. "Consumers continued moderately strong spending in March, which looks even better when you consider the consumer side of inflation is flat and even negative when it comes to goods," Liesman said.

Over the past two decades, mergers and acquisition deals have reached more than $56 trillion, and companies are improving over time. More sophisticated due diligence and integration, broadening the bounds to encompass scope acquisitions and doing more smaller deals instead of larger, riskier ones have made companies more successful.

The recent surprise bounceback in American manufacturing activity echoes the broader recovery among competitor manufacturing nations such as China. Analysts are now cautiously optimistic that this trend signals a possible end to the prolonged slowdown in global manufacturing. "The synchronized nature of the recovery tends to be a good signal for a cyclical upturn in global growth," says RBC Brewin Dolphin analyst Janet Mui.

Imperial Dade is acquiring Harbour Food Service Equipment in a deal that CEO Jason Tillis said the acquisition reinforces the company's focus on expanding its product offering and expertise to customers. The Chelsea, Mass.-based equipment and supplies distributor is Imperial Dade's seventh acquisition of the year so far.

Supply chains continue to face headwinds in 2024, including attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and disruptions of trade corridors between the US and Mexico, but there are some causes for optimism as the US increases nearshoring activity, according to a report from KPMG and the Association for Supply Chain Management. "As supply chains navigate the ever-evolving path to stability in 2024, maintaining vigilance and adopting resilient strategies will be crucial for continued progress," says the report.

Amazon is looking to use its 58 same-day fulfillment facilities to meet shopper needs for perishable items including eggs and milk, said CEO Andy Jassy in his annual letter to shareholders, writing that the move, "might make perishable shopping as convenient as non-perishable shopping already is." The company is also making progress in offering drone delivery in less than an hour, and Jassy said there is increased demand from consumers for additional health and wellness opportunities at Whole Foods Market and Amazon Fresh stores.

Sales and operations execution can help supply chains flourish, writes Stephen Dombroski, director of consumer markets for QAD. "S&OE enhances forecasting accuracy, empowering companies to make informed decisions and navigate uncertainties with ease by enabling them to refine their sales forecasts based on real-time data and market dynamics," Dombroski writes.

Business-to-business marketing demands different measurement strategies from those used in the business-to-consumer sector because transactions tend to be more complicated, said panelists at the recent B2Believe conference. Experts discussed the benefits of conversion APIs, first-party approaches to data and funnel alignment.

Business and academic economists now foresee a 29% chance of recession in the coming year, down from 39% during a previous survey in January, according to a poll by The Wall Street Journal. Meanwhile, economists have reduced their interest-rate cut expectations following recent inflation reports that have come in hotter than expected.

Some Americans are working past traditional retirement age to fill financial gaps. In some cases, remote work and desk jobs allow older Americans to stay in the workforce longer, according to Gal Wettstein of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. However, many people working past age 65 are still in physically demanding roles, says Monique Morrissey of the Economic Policy Institute.

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The NAW Company Roundtables are an exclusive community of thought leaders from Billion Dollar and Large Company distribution enterprises who congregate to network with non-competing peers in multiple lines of trade on key issues. Learn more about the many Roundtable event opportunities we offer, and how your leaders can get involved. Learn more.

Join us on May 22 at 1 pm ET for the next webinar in our "How-to with NAW" series. Each episode is a micro-revolution for your distribution business, delivering practical takeaways and actionable steps you can implement immediately.