US business inventories ticked upward in May, driven by increases from wholesalers and retailers. Inventories increased 0.5% from the previous month, building on a 0.3% jump reported in April, with the trend likely to boost second quarter economic growth. Inventories have been weighing on US gross domestic product in recent quarters, but have now increased 1.6% year over year.

Revenue outlooks shifted slightly downward for most US wholesale distribution sectors in July, according to the latest forecast from Modern Distribution Management. The 2024 and 2025 outlooks fell from the previous month, with 2024 wholesale trade revenues expected to increase by 3%, down from 3.3% in June, and 2025 growth projections declining from 4.8% to 4.6% compared to the current year. Distribution growth is still expected to outpace wider US growth projections.

Retail sales were flat in June compared with the prior month, and they rose 0.8% when stripping out gas prices and auto sales, according to the Commerce Department. The separate CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor reported total US retail sales, excluding auto and gasoline, increased 0.47% in June and 3.42% from a year earlier, the most significant year-over-year gain since last November, while core retail sales increased 0.3% from May and 3.07% year over year.

Paper distributor Lindenmeyr Munroe, a subsidiary of Central National Gottesman, is expanding its operations in Georgia with a new distribution facility in Atlanta, supported by a warehouse in Lithia Spring, Fla. The expansion aims to leverage the company's strong supplier relationships and service platform to serve the print and graphics market in the Atlanta region, and operations are set to begin in early September.

Applied AI is sometimes confused with generative AI, but its capabilities extend beyond creating content to perform a variety of tasks that require human intelligence, such as optimizing on-floor travel in warehouses, writes Scott Mullins of Lucas Systems. Mullins shares four other ways applied AI has the potential to help warehouses operate more effectively, including robotic process automation for repetitive tasks.

The abundance of fragmented software-as-a-service solutions in transportation and logistics has complicated integration and management for the supply chain industry, writes Bryn Heimbeck, president of Trade Tech. Shippers and carriers need a global logistics platform with an end-to-end solution that integrates with existing systems, an approach that enhances connectivity, facilitates real-time collaboration and reduces operational costs, Heimbeck writes.

Brand messaging should be informed by external, not internal input, such as customer insights, trends, competitive analysis and buyer journey research, advises Natalie Nathanson, founder and president of Magnetude Consulting. Use emotional storytelling to ensure your unique value proposition breaks through and mirror customer language to "create a sense of familiarity and trust while demonstrating that you understand your audience's needs," Nathanson writes.

The Supreme Court's decision overturning the Chevron precedent is reshaping federal agency regulatory powers, particularly in tax law. Reducing court deference to agency interpretations of ambiguous laws is prompting challenges against IRS regulations by large companies and is likely to mark a shift from past practices where tax regulations were often upheld despite limited justification.

Traders have increased expectations of three interest-rate cuts this year from the Federal Reserve after Goldman Sachs economists noted "solid rationale" for cuts to start as early as this month. Markets have priced in two quarter-point cuts, and the odds of a third cut exceeded 60% Monday. The first cut is widely expected in September.

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