MSC Industrial Supply reported combined March and April sales of $565.4 million, a 7.8% decline from the same period last year. Bookings are up in janitorial and safety products, although sales are down for other areas, the company said.

United Natural Foods on Tuesday released preliminary figures for the fiscal third quarter that estimate sales and net income gains from the year-ago period. The company said it spent more on things related to the coronavirus, such as additional employees and personal protective equipment.

Distributors shoring up their finances should assess their financial status and breakeven point if sales decline, identify mistakes and strive not to repeat them, and look to develop a long-term financial plan, says Al Bates of Distribution Performance Project. He offers a case study of a fictional study that begins by breaking out fixed and variable expenses.

New guidelines for long-haul truckers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention include directions to frequently disinfect high-touch parts of the inside and outside of trucks and arrange for contactless deliveries when possible to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The guidelines also encourage employers to ensure that rest areas, hotels and truck stops are following safety guidelines.

Cybercriminals are sending phishing emails that spoof Zoom meeting notifications in an effort to steal Microsoft credentials, reports Abnormal Security, which discovered the campaign. Zoom users are advised to join meetings by logging in on Zoom's site rather than by accessing links in emails.

The coronavirus pandemic has permanently changed how distributors do outside sales, John Gunderson writes. Instead of manufacturer lunches and in-person meetings, distributors should encourage salespeople to keep using the remote skills they've developed, launch promotions to attract new customers and increase their use of data analytics, he writes.

This infographic from Postal.io displays the benefits of combining direct mail and digital strategies for business-to-business marketers. Insights show that campaigns that blend digital ads with direct mail increase response rates by 118% when compared to direct mail campaigns alone.

Written communication is especially important when people aren't working in the same physical space, and a good starting point is creating a hub for easily searchable information and encouraging strong drafts over perfection, writes Maarten Claes. Save video calls for when writing becomes cumbersome or a topic needs to be hashed out, he writes.

Due to the fluidity of current economic conditions, Alan Beaulieu will present a second NAW webinar on Thursday, May 28, 3:00-4:30 p.m. EDT. He will walk through the newest data to show how bad the falloff in April really was. He'll identify the timing and slope of contraction/rise by industry segment so you can effectively pivot your business. He'll then paint a longer-term view for Post COVID-19 conditions to help you make your strategic plans. Purchase your seat.

Allow your customers to pay instantly upon delivery or curbside at pick-up and give your back-office team remote visibility into cashless payments. Learn how mobile payment acceptance solutions available through NAW and Unified Payments Group can help protect your revenue and your team. Contact the payment experts at (888) 440-0117.