US business inventories were flat in May, while sales dipped 0.4% from April but increased 3.1% year-over-year, per Census Bureau data. Wholesale inventories fell 0.3% but were offset by a 0.3% rise in retail inventories and 0.1% increase in manufacturing inventories. Wholesale sales declined 0.3%. The overall inventory-to-sales ratio decreased to 1.39 from 1.41 a year earlier.

United Natural Foods reports a June cyberattack that forced the distributor to shutdown critical systems, temporarily disrupting order distribution and fulfillment, cost the company up to $400 million in lost sales. UNFI says it has restored operations to near pre-incident levels and expects future financial impacts to be limited beyond the fourth quarter. The food distributor estimates the roughly $350-400 million in lost sales cost the firm between $40 and $50 million in earnings, with major costs including $5 million in cybersecurity and legal expenses and $20 million in added labor, spoilage and inefficiencies caused by manual processes. 

President Donald Trump plans to set tariffs for 150 countries starting Aug. 1, and has already informed about 24 trading partners, including the EU, Japan and South Korea. Trump said the US is negotiating with Japan and India, although he said he is skeptical about reaching a deal with Japan. "I think we'll probably live by the letter with Japan," Trump said.

US tariff policies are leading to rising costs and disruptions across the global supply chain, warns UN Trade and Development Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan. The UN's trading and development arm is forecasting a half-percentage-point drop in global growth and notes that the uncertainty from tariffs is resulting in business leaders delaying critical decisions, further slowing trade and investment.

Over the past five years, AI has rapidly evolved in supply chains, moving from niche inventory tools to a foundational technology that supports strategic decision-making and resilience. Early uses in 2020 focused on task automation and historical data analysis. By 2021, AI’s role expanded as companies began integrating real-time data across procurement, maintenance and logistics systems. Today, generative and agent-based AI enable more advanced operations, including predictive maintenance, fraud detection and scenario planning.

B2B lead generation is shifting from a focus on volume to a focus on buyer intent data, with more marketers using real-time data to target high-intent buyers and improve conversion rates. "The first critical metric is lead-to-opportunity conversion rate. This shows whether the leads you're generating are actually being accepted by sales and turning into [a] real pipeline," says Michael McGoldrick, global vice president of marketing at PharosIQ.

The Federal Reserve's Beige Book reported a mild uptick in US economic activity from late May to early July, but noted continued business uncertainty and widespread price increases driven by tariffs. Many companies raised prices or planned to do so as input costs rose, though some hesitated due to concerns about customer reactions and profit margins. Persistent labor shortages, particularly due to decreased immigrant labor, intensified staffing challenges and contributed to operational difficulties in several regions.

To become an expert in a particular field, choose something that you're genuinely interested in so you can maintain your focus and not lose your motivation when you encounter a setback, writes LaRae Quy. "Building your expertise is serious work because it can unlock your full potential in your career and income," Quy writes.

Prioritize your organization's greatest asset — your people. NAW's premier education programs, such as the online Management Academy and the in-depth Distribution Leadership Program at THE Ohio State University, are designed to equip your high-potential employees with the skills and insights they need to lead and succeed. Ensure your rising stars are prepared to drive your business forward by investing in their growth today. Learn more about how NAW can help you develop the leaders of tomorrow.

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