Ace Hardware will hire upwards of 30,000 full- and part-time employees to staff its retail support centers and its more than 4,300 locally-owned stores in the US. The company aims to help the communities it serves as unemployment soars during the pandemic, President and CEO John Venhuizen said.
True Value is supporting its stores through the coronavirus pandemic, including fighting to allow them to stay open, says CEO John Hartmann. "In some communities, the local hardware store, like True Value, is the only place to get" crucial cleaning and protective supplies, Hartmann says.
Distributors will have to move quickly to take advantage of $2.9 trillion of business value that could be created by artificial intelligence in the next year, writes Benj Cohen. AI has the potential to improve service without detracting from firms' personal connection with customers by creating a coordinated information base for sales teams, he writes.
An analysis of Amazon search results reveals that many consumers have moved past panic-buying of hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes and other germ-fighting essentials and are starting to embrace being stuck at home, according to research firm Marketplace Pulse. Searches for items including jigsaw puzzles for adults, bread makers, pizza ovens and workout equipment have begun to surge.
There are key principles that drive success on social media, and Stephen Key, co-founder of InventRight, explains mistakes to avoid. It's important to avoid hijacking other people's conversations and to remember to highlight the works of others, he writes.
Business-to-business marketers must prioritize digital content during the coronavirus pandemic and should boost reach by investing in paid ads across platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Snapchat and Twitter, Dmitri Lisitski writes. Target niche audiences with relevant, personalized content to engage qualified leads, he recommends.
Zoom is changing its platform to improve user safety and privacy, with CEO Eric Yuan admitting the company "messed up." "But the good news -- if we can learn the hard lessons and become better and stronger and we can win users back, in one or two or three years, it may have been worth it," he says.
Join NAW and ITR Economics for this critical economic outlook webinar, "Distribution Industry: Navigating the Crisis," featuring Alan Beaulieu, NAW Senior Economic Advisor and President of ITR Economics, on Thursday, April 9, 3 p.m. EDT. And, Alan will answer your questions. Seats are limited, so purchase your seat today!
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