Fluctuating trade policies, such as recent tariff threats between the US and India and a 39% tariff on Swiss goods, have introduced significant uncertainty for wholesale distributors, forcing them to rethink supply chain orchestration, pricing and customer relationships. To navigate this uncertainty, organizations should use real-time data for visibility, conduct scenario planning, de-risk supply chains and diversify customer bases.

The US Justice Department has issued an early antitrust clearance to Home Depot for its $5.5 billion acquisition of GMS. The approval satisfies a major regulatory condition of the acquisition, though clearance under the Canadian Competition Act is still pending. With about 77% of GMS shares tendered, Home Depot has extended the deadline for the tender offer to Sept. 3.

Retailers such as Walmart and Home Depot are employing creative strategies to manage rising tariff costs. Executives report that although some costs are being passed to consumers, significant efforts -- such as diversifying sourcing, negotiating with vendors and importing goods before tariffs take effect -- have so far blunted the worst impacts. However, higher costs are expected to persist into the second half of the fiscal year, and some brands have warned that tariffs are likely to dent profits.

WizCommerce secured $8 million in Series A funding to support the expansion of its AI-driven sales and eCommerce platform and help the company build a smarter operating system for distributors. WizCommerce intends to leverage the new capital to advance automation and AI features, aiming to reshape traditional sales processes in distribution.

Honeywell has partnered with Stereolabs to develop a mobile solution for capturing item sizes and weights in warehouses. The technology integrates Stereolabs' stereoscopic cameras with Honeywell's SwiftDecoder software to automate data collection, aiming to enhance logistics efficiency, accelerate delivery times and reduce shipping costs.

Marketers must prioritize building trust and leveraging privacy-enhancing technologies to thrive amid stricter privacy regulations and the decline of third-party cookies, writes Alex Davies of Jellyfish. Davies emphasizes the importance of aligning internal teams and embracing conversion modeling to navigate the complexities of regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation and the California Consumer Privacy Act.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has signed the Warehouse Safety Tornado Preparedness Act, inspired by the 2021 Edwardsville tornado that killed six Amazon employees. The law requires warehouse operators to prepare tornado safety plans within 120 days for existing facilities, and within a week for new ones. New warehouses must have designated refuge areas, and building inspectors must be certified by the International Code Council by 2027.

Persistent economic uncertainty stemming from unclear tariff policies is inhibiting US companies' ability to make strategic decisions and long-term investments, economists say. Experts stress that this unpredictability undermines business confidence and could slow economic growth, as both firms and consumers face an unstable environment. American Enterprise Institute policy analyst James Pethokoukis said US firms are living "permanently in uncertainty city."

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