E-commerce orders have risen markedly in recent weeks compared with February volume, according to data from Narvar and Convey, but shipments are taking longer to complete. Major carriers are reporting lower levels of on-time deliveries compared with the beginning of March.

Amazon has developed products that compete with those of independent sellers by using information gathered on the Amazon platform, according to interviews with former employees. "It's not a comfortable feeling knowing that they have people internally specifically looking at us to compete with us," says Upper Echelon CEO Travis Killian, who said Amazon's data closely matched internal sales figures.

The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted supply chains, leading some brands to reduce the number of products they produce and distorting demand for distributors such as Grainger. "In several weeks' time, we received orders for the same quantity of safety masks that we've usually received over several years, and in some cases even decades," Grainger CEO D.G. Macpherson said last week.

Companies could benefit from finding alternative suppliers during the coronavirus pandemic, writes Steve Banker, who discusses the challenges of switching sourcing, using the tariffs on Chinese goods and the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster as examples. Less than one-third of companies "have developed alternate sources of supply for 70% or more of their Tier 1 suppliers," he writes, citing APQC data.

Some 75% of business-to-business marketers intend to increase investment in data quality this year and 90% concur that sales and marketing performance will be boosted by data quality investments, per Dun & Bradstreet. Additionally, 68% of B2B marketers say the pandemic is making accurate customer data even more important.

Brands launching social media campaigns with coronavirus-related messaging appear to be resonating with consumers, according to an Influential study. The analysis looked at social conversations on major platforms, blogs and forums regarding 1,000 brands, and found that among the top 20 brands, Johnson & Johnson had the biggest gain in positive mentions with a 61% boost, while AT&T increased 58%, Amazon increased 52% and Target increased 44%.

CEOs should be motivated to work for all stakeholders, but there are many who instead want the job "to benefit themselves, for the admiration of others, for money or, more often than not, they want just to do what's fun and enjoyable," says author Patrick Lencioni. "Any great leader knows that they put far more into it for others than they get out of it for themselves," he says.

While shipping volumes are down due to COVID-19, wholesaler-distributors are already planning for the reopening of the country. Volumes will soon rise back to normal and with it, a surge in demand for truckload carriers. Find out how to access new carriers and ensure that your freight is moved at the most efficient price using Trusted NAW Partner Emerge and their Emerge Digital Freight Marketplace.

Many distributors are reporting that the coronavirus crisis is leading to an increase in online ordering and virtual interactions with their customer service reps and inside salespeople. As this trend takes root, it may shift customer interactions away from a distributor's field salespeople. As a result, salespeople may be defensive or uncomfortable. However, if customer behaviors are changing, there is a huge opportunity for your sales force around creating new value for customers. Read this post.