Deals involving Applied Industrial Technologies and Wesco headlined a strong month for industrial distribution mergers and acquisitions activity. Overall, 31 transactions in the sector were announced, a slight uptick from the 30 transactions in the previous month and the 26 deals announced in a year earlier. November's high dealmaking activity continues a trend of high transaction volumes, with the 322 year-to-date deals far surpassing the 268 in the first 11 months of 2023.

Some retailers, including Finally Home Furnishings, Tarptent and Jolie Skin, are urging consumers to buy goods before potential tariffs proposed by President-elect Donald Trump drive up prices. Trump has proposed tariffs of 60% on Chinese goods and 10% to 20% on products from other countries, and outlined plans to levy 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico. NRF has warned that tariffs could cost consumers up to $78 billion annually.

UPS and FedEx are well prepared for on-time holiday gift deliveries in the US amid broader demand weakness following the e-commerce surge surrounding the coronavirus pandemic. Satish Jindel of ShipMatrix notes that delivery firms have ample capacity to handle the estimated 2.2 billion packages expected between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve. However, potential weather disruptions in December could pose challenges.

Retailers are noticing a consumer focus on promotions during the early holiday shopping period, with Best Buy reporting that shoppers are "deal-focused" and Target noting a sales dip outside of sales events. Target also pointed to strong shopper response to stock-up promotions.

Blockchain has the potential to transform supply chains by enhancing transparency, traceability and efficiency, with applications such as smart contracts and tokenization streamlining processes, according to experts. The technology can also improve sustainability and ethical sourcing by providing detailed materials tracking. However, businesses face challenges to integrating blockchain, including a poor grasp of the technology, scalability issues and privacy concerns.

Amazon has introduced several robots in its warehouses to lower the risk of employee injuries and increase efficiency. The robots include Robin and Cardinal, which can lift heavy packages; Sparrow, which transfers items between bins; Proteus, which transports carts autonomously; Digit, a bipedal humanoid robot; and Sequoia, a storage system. While Robin is already in use, the others are still being tested.

AI is revolutionizing inside sales in the B2B sector by providing sales reps with daily task lists that prioritize high-value accounts and opportunities. The technology analyzes past customer orders to identify cross-selling and upselling opportunities, catch potential churn and customize quotes and discounts. By automating these tasks, AI allows sales teams to focus on meaningful customer interactions, enhancing productivity and customer satisfaction.

Exceptional leaders distinguish themselves through powerful communication skills, including expressing themselves authentically, listening for emotions and embracing curiosity, writes Peter Economy.

The dollar has risen about 2% since President-elect Donald Trump's win, but December has historically been challenging for the greenback. This year, the currency faces additional challenges with potential market volatility from the Trump transition and major central bank meetings. Analysts are divided, with some predicting continued strength for the dollar, while others foresee a consolidation phase. "The upshot is that until something changes, the path of least resistance for the dollar is higher," said Kathy Jones, chief fixed-income strategist at Charles Schwab & Co. "The key to the dollar in 2025 is going to be policy on tariffs."

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