Indian River Consulting Group's Pandemic Revenue Index of 12 distributors declined by 0.8% for the week of Aug. 3 to 7. "As was the case last week, half of the index participants saw a sales gain vs the same week in 2019," Mike Emerson writes.

Applied Industrial Technologies reported fiscal fourth-quarter net profit of $30 million and total sales of $725.1 million, both down from a year ago. Full-year profit and revenue also declined year over year.

Walmart has joined forces with Instacart to offer same-day delivery options. The partnership is being started in four pilot markets in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and Tulsa, Okla., and will feature delivery of groceries and other items.

Distribution and fulfillment operations have not embraced predictive maintenance as quickly as other industrial sectors, but could reap the same improvements in cost, efficiency and uptime, writes Eric Rice. The same sensor monitoring and data analysis procedures that are used in industrial settings can be implemented by many distribution and fulfillment firms, Rice writes.

Salespeople must not only provide value to clients to secure a sale, but also align that value with the purchasing organization's top priorities, writes David Brock. During difficult times, it's imperative that salespeople provide reasons why clients can't afford to stick with the status quo, Brock adds.

A survey by PROS reveals that the top challenges business-to-business buyers face with current vendors are slow or inefficient responses to inquiries, inconsistent pricing and a lack of inventory transparency. The top reasons for favoring alternative vendors are competitive pricing, availability of supply and a superior online purchasing experience.

This article describes the common ways that people poorly handle conflict, as well as what's required to view people less as enemies and more as allies whose success matters to us. "The best collaborations happen when everyone on the team feels that their voice was important to the process," writes Chad Ford.

Based on original research with distributors across the industry, Ian Heller and Jonathan Bein reveal how distributors evaluate and respond to emerging technologies. Is Artificial Intelligence a threat, an opportunity, or both? You'll learn about 3D printing/additive manufacturing, blockchain, cryptocurrency, and marketplaces. Find out how distributors plan to incorporate new technologies to build their competitive advantage. Download NAW's brand-new research report and register for live webinar on August 18, 2:00 pm. ET. Can't attend? Register anyway to receive the recording. Sponsored by Unilog, SAP, Conexiom.

Are you well-informed about different best practices and knowledge in our industry? If not, NAW's Top 10 E-book List can help get you up-to-speed quickly so you and your business can stay competitive in these challenging times.

NAW shares thought leadership each week in the NAW Blog "Distributing Ideas." NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence Fellows, authors and guest bloggers discuss today's critical issues specific to wholesale distribution. Catch up on blog posts here. Better yet, subscribe here and we'll deliver a new post each week straight to your inbox.