Retail sales fell 0.66% in September from the previous month but gained 5.42% from a year earlier, according to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor. Core retail sales, which exclude restaurants, auto and fuel, were down 0.49% from August but up 5.72% year-over-year. Digital products led growth, followed by sporting goods, clothing and general merchandise. "Amid continued economic uncertainty, consumers opted to preserve spending power in preparation for the important holiday season," said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay.

Cameron Ashley Building Products has added a Fort Myers, Fla., distribution center to its network of 70 facilities nationwide to serve contractors along the Gulf Coast. The center will stock insulation, spray foam and accessories for residential and commercial projects, and facilitate faster deliveries and direct access to building materials. The opening is part of the distributor's Florida expansion, with further growth planned in Jacksonville by year's end to meet the state's construction market demand.

Lowell Mora, president of financial services firm Impact CFO, offers advice on communicating price increases with customers amid rising tariffs, emphasizing the importance of early and transparent communication. Business leaders are encouraged to inform customers about potential price changes as early as possible, explaining the reasons behind the adjustments and the steps being taken to minimize their effects, as well as offering solutions to mitigate the impact on customers. This proactive and honest approach builds credibility and trust, ensuring customers feel respected and involved rather than surprised by sudden changes, Mora says.

Distributors appear to be more open to technology and have better data quality than expected, according to research from Stanford MBA candidates Conor Leen and Matt Rojas, who interviewed more than 200 wholesale distribution leaders over two years. Their experiments with AI tools, including demand forecasting, route planning and price optimization, demonstrated that distributors have the data and willingness to adopt cutting-edge technologies. They also found that rather than replacing workers, AI could help distributors automate tasks and empower teams to focus on growth.

Import traffic at major US ports is projected to slow significantly, with monthly cargo volumes expected to dip below 2 million TEU for the fourth quarter, due to ongoing tariff volatility and economic uncertainty, according to NRF's Global Port Tracker. October is forecast to see 1.97 million TEUs, down 12.3% from a year ago, November at 1.75 million TEUs and December at 1.72 million TEUs.

Supply chain and manufacturing leaders are increasingly turning to AI to optimize pricing amid volatile market conditions, writes Jared Wiesel, the SVP of manufacturing and distribution at Revenue Analytics, who notes that AI transforms raw data into predictive insights, enabling real-time decision-making and proactive pricing. This shift from traditional reactive pricing helps organizations anticipate margin risks, respond swiftly to market opportunities and enhance cross-functional collaboration. However, human oversight remains crucial to navigate unpredictable market changes, Wiesel notes.

Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal forecast stronger US economic growth driven by AI investment and reduced tariff risks. GDP is expected to rise by 1.7% in Q4 and 1.9% in 2026, but job creation is expected to slow to 15,000 jobs a month this quarter. The survey also shows concern about the Federal Reserve's independence as President Donald Trump considers replacing Chair Jerome Powell.

A paper from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston suggests that the current rise in inflation expectations poses a greater challenge to the central bank's ability to manage price pressures than previous episodes. Recent increases "could signal that the risk of inflation expectations becoming de-anchored, as they did in the late 1970s, has increased noticeably." However, the paper notes that risks seem "contained so far."

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