Black Friday ecommerce sales rose 14.6% this year while those at physical stores rose 0.7%, Mastercard SpendingPulse reported, and general spending went up 3.4% from last year. Facteus data indicated an 11.1% increase in online sales and a 5.4% decrease in in-store sales, and the firm notes that both figures dropped when accounting for inflation.

Motion & Control Enterprises, a distributor of fluid power, automation and industrial supplies, has purchased North East Technical Sales, an instrumentation and control solutions distributor based in Harleysville, Pa., expanding its reach in the Mid-Atlantic. "This acquisition expands our growing flow control footprint and positions the combined business to provide an even more comprehensive suite of highly-engineered solutions to our valued customers," says MCE Chairman and CEO Charles Hale.

The third installment of MDM's Executive Input blog series examines a national roofing distributor and member of the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors that is proactively developing self-service tools, anticipating they will become standard in the sector in the coming years. The post also details the company's investments in AI for truck utilization, routing and customer analytics, and enhancements to its ecommerce platform that analyze purchasing trends and simplify product searches.

Construction spending climbed 0.4% in October, according to the Commerce Department, surpassing the expectations of economists surveyed by Reuters. Despite an increase in mortgage rates, spending on residential construction projects increased 1.5%, with single-family project outlays growing 0.8%. However, public construction spending declined 0.5%.

SpeedX, a delivery service launched in 2022, is gaining traction in the US by handling small international packages for ecommerce companies such as Shein, Amazon and Temu. SpeedX keeps costs low by using independent contractors for last-mile deliveries, but some customers have complained about missed and late deliveries. SpeedX is investing in resources to address these issues and expects to handle up to 400,000 parcels daily during the holiday season.

Logistics companies are preparing for potential disruptions if President-elect Donald Trump imposes a 25% tariff on Mexico and Canada and a 10% tariff on China, which he has said he plans to do. Analysts warn that the tariffs could lead to a surge in imports before the inauguration, followed by a sharp decline, and could trigger a trade war with retaliatory tariffs against US exports.

George P. Johnson's Jonathan McCallum highlights the power of emotional intelligence in B2B marketing, debunking the myth that it lacks creativity. McCallum cites examples such as Slack's humorous ads and Salesforce's immersive Dreamforce event to show that B2B can evoke strong emotions and drive significant impact. "Human-centricity in B2B works best when you make promises that stir emotions -- be it fear ... or hope," McCallum writes.

Recent economic data has left the market uncertain about the Federal Reserve's future rate cuts. Core inflation remained at 2.8% in October, showing no progress toward the Fed's 2% target, while the Commerce Department confirmed a 2.8% annualized GDP growth rate for Q3. The upcoming jobs report for November is set to be released on Friday, adding another layer of data for economic analysis.

Dana Perino, former White House Press Secretary, journalist and bestselling author, will share her unique insights into leadership, effective communication during times of change, and how to capitalize on a shifting political landscape. Dana brings an insider’s knowledge to her political analysis, addressing what’s on the minds of the American people and politicians with clarity and precision, leveraging a unique understanding of what organizations need to know about how the public is being affected by the current political climate.

Join us in Washington, D.C., January 27-29 for NAW's Executive Summit, bringing together the best and brightest leaders from the wholesale distribution industry. Learn more here.