SRS Distribution, a Home Depot subsidiary, has acquired Roadrunner Roofing Supply, a building materials distributor based in Arlington, Texas. Roadrunner, established in 2020, will retain its management team post-acquisition. This is SRS Distribution's first acquisition since the building materials distributor was acquired by Home Depot last year.

Looming tariffs, especially those tied to evolving US-China trade policies, drove Walmart and Target to accelerate imports in early 2025. The anticipation and implementation of these tariffs caused a dramatic year-over-year spike of 15.6% in imports through major US ports during the first four months of the year. However, once tariffs were enacted or adjusted, there was a sharp contraction in inbound volumes, with declines of 4.1% in May and 8.2% in June.

Retail sales increased 0.5% in July and June's gain was revised upward to a 0.9% gain, according to the Commerce Department. Spending gains were driven by increased auto purchases and consumer efforts to purchase products ahead of tariff-induced price increases. Economists note that some of the retail sales gains are also attributed to rising prices as some firms hike prices to offset higher costs.

Avent has launched with backing from Y Combinator, aiming to automate administrative tasks for industrial distributors. Avent's platform automates quoting, order entry and product searches, significantly reducing administrative work for inside sales teams.

Category management has proven to be a transformative framework for procurement, enabling a shift from transactional support to strategic partnership, writes Ximena Gonzalez, a senior associate at PwC Mexico. Engaging stakeholders early and managing supplier performance through key performance indicators and scorecards are crucial for success.

Inflation and changing customer priorities have caused brands to shift from purpose-driven to promise-driven marketing, which integrates social good and consumer value, writes Preston Spire's Victor Kimble. Kimble notes that companies such as Aldi and Warby Parker exemplify this trend by offering affordable essentials and convenience. 

The US labor market has shifted from job-hopping to job-hugging, according to Korn Ferry. The trend, driven by economic uncertainty and a cooling job market, has resulted in a quits rate of about 2%, a level last seen consistently in early 2016. While this stability can provide job security, it may also limit career growth and wage increases, experts warn.

Despite fears of disruption from rising US tariffs and global trade tensions, the global economy has largely withstood these headwinds so far. Many countries experienced robust growth in the first quarter as businesses rushed to build inventories ahead of tariff hikes, followed by a notable slowdown in the second quarter once new duties took effect. The World Trade Organization has modestly upgraded its trade forecast for the year due to an early surge in US imports, but anticipates slower growth in the future as the full effects of tariffs unfold.

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