For almost 10 years, Amazon conducted a surreptitious program code-named "Project Curiosity" that used an entity called Big River Services International to sell $1 million of goods annually under brand names including Svea Bliss and Rapid Cascade via ecommerce marketplaces such as Walmart, Shopify, eBay and Amazon, ostensibly to gather intelligence on the competitors and logistics services, according to The Wall Street Journal. The secret spying project reportedly gathered logistics information, pricing data and other information that was shared with Amazon to incorporate the findings into the marketplace's business.

More than one-third of respondents to the first quarter Baird-MDM Distribution Survey reported that suppliers are changing minimum purchasing requirements, a trend that could pressure smaller distributors. Nearly half of distributors with less than $50 million in annual revenue reported changes in minimum purchasing requirements. Larger minimum purchasing requirements could squeeze smaller distributors out of certain markets or force them into redistribution or buying from larger competitors, potentially leading to share gains for larger distributors and further market consolidation.

The Conference Board's Leading Economic Index fell by 0.3% in March, another indication of a potential slowdown in the US economy. Despite some positive signs, experts warn a weakening business outlook and tighter financial conditions could impact future growth. "Overall, the index points to a fragile -- even if not recessionary -- outlook for the US economy," says Justyna Zabinska-La Monica from the Conference Board.

The industrial warehouse market is showing signs of softening after its remarkable strength during the pandemic, with rents flattening and some landlords providing more concessions to tenants. In the first quarter, the average warehouse vacancy rate nationwide reached 5.8%, increasing from 5.2% during the prior quarter, according to Cushman & Wakefield. The rate has risen from 3% in late 2022, but it is still low from a historical perspective.

Dwight Klappich, research vice president and Gartner Fellow in Gartner's Supply Chain Practice, says robotics are being deployed in supply chain operations but humanoid robots are still on the horizon. "Next-generation humanoid robots will compete with the current cost of labor for similar functions and will provide higher availability and reliability than the human workforce," Klappich writes.

Jason Ball, founder of Considered Content, uses his agency's research to explain six ways the best-performing business-to-business marketers stand out from the rest. These include researching purchasing committees, creating a marketing strategy that's linked to strategic business objectives and prioritizing market differentiation.

Out of 12 districts around the country, all but two showed "either slight or modest economic growth" from late February to early April, according to the Federal Reserve's latest Beige Book report. In addition, the report noted that "contacts expected that inflation would hold steady at a slow pace moving forward."

Too much positivity in business in the form of "Ursula Upbeat" type employees who engage in wishful thinking can make leaders miss emerging dangers, writes Adam Hanft, CEO of Hanft Ideas, who recommends balancing optimists with some "Debbie Downers." "We must widen our definition of diversity so those who are genetically wired to fight rose-colored cognition have a visible and honored place in the enterprise," Hanft asserts.

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Yesterday, Modern Distribution Management released the 2024 SHIFT Playbook featuring the latest insights on pressing industry issues. The guide includes case studies on industrial supplies outperformers Motion and Global Industrial Company; insights from Gartner on using technology as a burden-lifter on sales staff; and lessons from a panel discussion about workplace culture components that foster an environment where talent want to work and stay. Click here to download.

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.