Report: Most distributors face financial hit from virus | UNFI seeks favorable trends, will pause planned sales | Americold to provide automated cold storage for grocer
Eighty-seven percent of distributors said at the end of April that they had experienced financial repercussions from the coronavirus pandemic, up from 83% earlier in the month and 49% in March, according to research by Industry Insights. Most respondents to the larger survey, which also included manufacturers, retailers and other organizations, expect revenue for 2020 to be affected, but fewer expect to reduce headcounts or spending on technology and advertising.
United Natural Foods said it will delay the planned sale of Cub Foods and Shoppers stores. Meanwhile, UNFI CEO Steven Spinner said he expects the pandemic-induced recession to last up to two years, which will continue recent trends such as people cooking more at home and looking for values at conventional grocers.
Why Cloud ERP Is Critical Now For Distributors The primary reason is that the distribution industry is facing unprecedented change and distributors must find a way to survive and thrive amid this sea of change. Learn about the role of cloud ERP technology in digital transformation and why it is critical today more than ever to reduce operational costs, scale your business, maximize data security and increase your revenue in this webinar.
Distributors seeking to improve warehouse productivity and reduce mistakes should try less-obvious methods such as getting shipments of high-volume items directly from manufacturers and giving workers more time to pick orders, writes Dick Friedman. He also recommends placing slow-moving and fast-moving items in the right areas to maximize efficiency.
Distributors need to be strategic in how they "simultaneously downsize, upgrade and reinvent what they are doing" during the coronavirus pandemic, writes consultant Bruce Merrifield. He offers two examples -- one in which costs and headcount were reduced based on net-profit data and another where small fixes were used to increase performance without hiring new people.
Maintaining Business Continuity in Tough Times COVID-19 has impacted the global economy and changed the way businesses operate. Overnight, every business has needed to reassess how to do more with less. Thankfully, sales order automation has made this possible for companies like Genpak. Watch this webinar, now available on-demand, to find out how you can keep customers supplied and supported.
Companies need to shift to a customer-focused approach to business-to-business marketing if they want to stay competitive, according to a Forrester Research report. Such an approach requires commitment from all levels and departments and involves relevant messaging and multiple channels, including digital, social media and mobile.
Geraint Evans takes a look at how LinkedIn's yet-to-be-released Stories format could be a game changer for business-to-business marketing. He advises B2B marketers to start considering strategies for ephemeral LinkedIn Stories, including images and videos that creatively and authentically offer a glimpse into their brand.
Building business resilience in times of change Few businesses, if any, were prepared to face the current environment brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. But the businesses that have reacted quickly and incorporated planning for times of change into their strategies for the future will be the ones that emerge successfully in the age of COVID-19. Hear from prominent industry leaders in this webinar.
An organic approach to recruitment can help companies eliminate inefficient outside recruiters and find eager, qualified talent that fit their culture, Robert Sher writes. Sher offers several tips for organic recruitment, including addressing challenges -- undermarket salaries or poor culture -- that could turn off potential hires.
NAW will partner again with NAW Senior Economic Advisor Alan Beaulieu of ITR Economics to produce a second critical economic forecast webinar. Are we at or near the general economic bottom? What is happening in various wholesale distribution market segments? What are the stock market and interest rates doing now and in the near term? "Distribution Post COVID-19 Outlook" will be Thursday, May 28, 3 to 4:30 p.m. EDT. Seats are limited, so purchase yours here.
NAW shares thought leadership each week in the NAW Blog "Distributing Ideas." NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence Fellows, authors and guest bloggers discuss today's critical issues specific to wholesale distribution. Catch up on blog posts here. Better yet, subscribe here and we'll deliver a new post each week straight to your inbox.
