Cintas has made a third takeover offer to acquire UniFirst, maintaining its $5.2 billion bid but enhancing the deal with a $350 million reverse termination fee to be paid if the deal falls through. The offer represents a 64% premium over UniFirst's 90-day average closing price.

Galco Industrial Electronics has acquired Ad-Tech CCI, a distributor in Harrisburg, Pa., that specializes in industrial controls and automation components. The acquisition is intended to increase Galco's presence in the Mid-Atlantic region and enhance its service offerings to manufacturers and industrial customers. Ad-Tech will continue to operate under its current name and at its existing location.

Agentic AI is poised to significantly reshape online retail by the end of the decade, with Bain & Co. projecting that these systems could be responsible for driving up to 25% of US ecommerce sales. These advanced agents are expected to move beyond simply recommending products, instead taking on roles such as making purchases and managing fulfillment on behalf of consumers. Early indicators, such as $3 billion in Black Friday sales influenced by similar AI technologies, signal the beginning of their growing impact. However, widespread adoption will depend on increasing consumer trust and improving AI capabilities.

This year's peak season saw a notable shift in inventory management, with retailers and consumer packaged goods companies front-loading imports in July to avoid potential tariffs and labor disruptions. This strategy led to a significant drop in facility dwell times, averaging 128 minutes in October, an 11% improvement over the yearly average. However, this efficiency has resulted in higher inventory levels, with the ISM Manufacturing Report indicating a divergence between new orders and inventory.

Delphin Digital's review of third-party research has identified key email marketing statistics for 2026, including a projected decrease in spam emails from 48% to 43% by 2030. The infographic highlights that 77% of B2B buyers prefer email communication, and it covers topics such as the global email landscape, engagement, ROI, AI and personalization.

Accountability is a critical practice for leaders, says S. Chris Edmonds, an executive consultant with The Purposeful Culture Group, who emphasizes the need for both delivering results and creating respect within teams. Edmonds argues that leaders must take the initiative to set expectations, share information and model accountability to drive performance and create a culture where team members are more likely to engage in accountability conversations themselves, ultimately leading to higher engagement and improved organizational outcomes.

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