Pending or completed mergers and acquisitions involving distributors in the building supply, industrial and commercial hardgoods sectors fell to 19 in March from 22 in February and 22 in January, marking the lowest monthly total since September 2023, according to MDM. Uncertainty surrounding tariffs is fueling distributors' cautious approach. The monthly average through three months of 2025 is roughly 20.6, significantly lower than the 28.8 per month on average in 2024.

US retailers have increased imports ahead of President Donald Trump's tariffs, creating a surge in trucking activity, particularly at the Port of Laredo on the Texas-Mexico border, according to Motive, which reported the largest US retailers' warehouses reached the highest levels on record. However, DataDocks reports a significant drop in future freight bookings, indicating uncertainty about consumer demand. "Organizations aren't committing right now. They're pausing to see how things unfold before making any big decisions," says DataDocks CEO Nick Rakovsky.

Ben Albu, founder of Rockyrill Ventures and a former Wesco executive, says customer relationship management systems and sales technology often fail distribution salespeople because they do not accommodate the autonomous nature of sales roles. Albu argues that success lies in implementing technology that caters to the specific needs of salespeople rather than following trends, treating sales teams as customers, and understanding their autonomous roles, which leads to more effective technology integration. Albu will speak at MDM's SHIFT Conference in May on "Hybrid Sales: Leveraging Technology for Sales Success."

Amazon has resumed drone deliveries in Texas and Arizona after a two-month pause to address a software issue with altitude sensors that was caused by dust. The FAA approved the update, Amazon reports high demand since the restart and the ecommerce giant has set a goal of delivering 500 million packages by drone annually by 2030.

AI is crucial for managing global supply chain complexities amid geopolitical tensions, economic shocks and climate catastrophes, writes Ruth Beadle, Sanofi's head of global supply. Companies have integrated AI to enhance visibility and predictive capabilities, resulting in significant operational efficiency.

Sales teams are shifting from traditional customer relationship management-centric strategies to AI-driven revenue discovery to find new customers and business opportunities. Traditional CRM systems are designed to manage existing leads but fall short in identifying new business, leading to missed opportunities and inefficiencies. AI-driven discovery methods identify high-value prospects, with companies reporting significant improvements in lead quality, prospecting time and sales performance, according to McKinsey and Forrester.

Workplace trust helps build high-performing teams, says The Perk consultant Steph Llano, who notes trust can be taught and is crucial for strong workplace culture. Llano outlines five key behaviors to build trust: connect, be clear, create safety, commit and celebrate.

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