Anixter is relocating a sales office in Lexington, Ky., to 21,000 square feet of space while creating 103 jobs over the next decade. The company's $4.23 million investment comes with as much as $1.6 million in tax incentives.

Associated Food Stores is extending curbside pickup to 33 stores through a partnership with e-commerce company Rosie. The grocery wholesaler operates 43 independent stores under the Fresh Market, Dan's, Lin's, Macey's and Dick's Market banners.

Under the Amazon's Choice badge program, the e-commerce giant reportedly offered third-party sellers the chance to buy badges designating them as preferred brands by spending more on ads and cutting prices. The offer has been discontinued and it's not clear whether any vendors opted in, sources say.

Self-driving trucks have been undergoing road tests by UPS in Arizona since May, the company said. UPS' venture capital unit has invested in TuSimple, a company that produces autonomous-vehicle technology and also is collaborating with Amazon.

Dell's Konstanze Alex discusses business-to-business influencer marketing, including why the company doesn't pay for opinions but does pay for an influencer's time and services and the importance of setting out clear expectations. "The conversations you're having need to be relevant, of mutual interest, and important," she says.

KPMG's Marten Van Pelt talks about the firm's use of artificial intelligence to transform its business-to-business marketing for digital prospects. He discusses how the company employs the technology to customize website experiences for individual visitors and identify the right keywords to inspire content marketing.

Organizations can increase productivity and improve communication by limiting email and creating more opportunities for employees to talk face-to-face or by phone, says Georgetown University professor Calvin Newport. "This type of structured synchrony is starting to have a comeback in the world of business, and people are finding that they're getting by with much less messaging," he says.

General Electric's longstanding strategy of growing through acquisitions worked for a time, but the company never updated that mindset even as times and context changed, writes business professor James Schrager. "The most successful corporate strategies are those that enable companies to be nimble and flexible, and to pivot when things are not working or when unexpected opportunities arise," he writes.

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