According to data from the Commerce Department, US business inventories declined by 0.2% in December. Wholesale inventories fell 0.5%, retail inventories declined 0.4% and manufacturing inventories rose 0.4%. However, overall business sales increased 0.8%, fueled by a 1% jump in wholesale sales. The inventories-to-sales ratio fell to 1.35 from 1.37 in November.

Electric equipment supply giant Sonepar is consolidating its Michigan subsidiaries, Standard Electric and Madison Electric, under one business unit to streamline operations but plans to maintain each individual brand. Standard Electric President Bill Gray will lead the unified company. Gray added: "Our companies have a long history of collaboration," Gray said. "Unifying our complementary operations will enable us to create internal efficiencies, resulting in seamless access to inventory and an even better customer experience across our footprint."

President Trump has directed federal agencies to investigate how US tariffs can be adjusted to bring them in line with America's trading partners. Officials have until April 1 to respond to the instruction. While this move aims to address trade imbalances and fulfill campaign promises, it risks sparking trade wars and concerns have been raised about its impact on global trade rules and consumer prices.

Supply chain reorganization efforts are often more successful for companies that embrace a radical redesign instead of traditional approaches and focus on unique business characteristics and diverse reporting lines, according to Gartner. These companies avoid binary choices between centralized and decentralized models, prioritize talent development over headcount reduction and tailor strategies to their unique needs rather than copying competitors, according to Gartner.

The I-95 and State Route 4 intersection in Fort Lee, N.J., is the most congested freight bottleneck in the US for the seventh year, according to the American Transportation Research Institute's 2025 Top Truck Bottleneck List of 100 locations. Chicago, Houston and Atlanta are in the top 10, and average rush-hour truck speeds have decreased, leading to higher fuel consumption and emissions.

Anthony Iannarino highlights the shortcomings of traditional B2B lead generation strategies, emphasizing the need for businesses to focus on quality over quantity. Iannarino stresses the importance of nurturing leads and having meaningful sales conversations to convert prospects into clients, rather than relying solely on marketing to generate leads.

The central bank's rate stance "remains restrictive," according to Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia President Patrick Harker, adding that he is "optimistic that inflation will continue a downward path." Separately, Federal Reserve Governor Michelle Bowman said she wants evidence that inflation is easing before lowering rates further.

The World Economic Forum's "Future of Jobs Report 2025" highlights the convergence of technological advancement, particularly AI, and human potential in reshaping the global workforce. The report, which emphasizes the need for employers to adopt a human-centered approach, encourages the use of technology to enable human capability, focusing on upskilling, reskilling and continuous learning.

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