Centralized distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine will be managed by medical supplier McKesson, according to the Trump administration. The company will follow CDC guidance for shipping vaccines to administration sites, and planning is underway to ensure rapid distribution if a vaccine is approved.

Foot traffic at Home Depot stores has been up an average of 35% daily over last year during the pandemic, according to data from Unacast, despite the home-improvement retailer's decision to drop its usual spring promotions. However, Home Depot still gets almost half its revenue from professional contractors.

Amazon may face zoning and contract obstacles if it tries to add distribution centers to malls, whereas adding grocery stores could be easier, experts say. That said, an Amazon partnership with Simon Property Group could secure the leverage needed to overcome tenant objections, says Ami Ziff of Time Equities.

Distributors can have an easier time recruiting supply chain workers and keeping the ones they already have by providing upskilling opportunities in technology, finance and automation, writes Christine Castaneda of The Adecco Group. She also notes the importance of mentoring programs and tuition reimbursements for relevant coursework.

Digitization is one reason supply chains no longer need to sacrifice efficiency to achieve resilience, according to this McKinsey analysis. Other topics discussed include how to stress-test industrial supply chains and why companies should reconsider their business models.

Business-to-business marketing leaders must ensure they withstand potential pressure from sales colleagues to sacrifice brand integrity for short-term revenue goals, writes Fusion Marketing Partners CEO Christopher Ryan. It's the duty of marketers to establish realistic customer expectations by creating compelling but truthful content and educating prospects at each step of the journey, he writes.

Assigning tasks by email is simple but also ambiguous, which is why task-based or ticketing software is a better solution, writes Cal Newport. "It's better to embrace a more structured system for identifying, describing, assigning and reviewing tasks that trades slightly more work right now for a significantly decreased cognitive toll for your organization in the future," he writes.

Register now for today's webinar at 2 p.m. Eastern with Ian Heller and Jonathan Bein of Distribution Strategy Group. Based on original research conducted in July with wholesaler-distributors across the industry, they will reveal how distributors evaluate and respond to emerging technologies. Is AI a threat, an opportunity, or both? What about 3D printing/additive manufacturing, blockchain, cryptocurrency, and marketplaces? Find out how distributors plan to incorporate new technologies to build their competitive advantage. Download the 20-page corresponding research report for more details that won't be covered on the webinar. Sponsored by Unilog, SAP and Conexiom.

Distributors: NAW is working with Distribution Strategy Group to get input from distributors' customers on a range of disruptive technologies: AI, 3D Printing, blockchain and more. Here is how you can help: Please send a brief survey to your customers -- we want input directly from purchasing professionals and other business buyers. We need to complete this research as quickly as possible, so please email your customers ASAP. You may access the NAW survey link here, and we've also included some text you can use to communicate with your customers. Thank you!

At this critical time, online payment acceptance can mean the difference in whether you're paid. Stream the podcast from NAW Trusted Partner Unified Payments to learn how replacing paper check acceptance with an easy-to-use "PayNOW" link on your website allows customers to pay invoices in real-time, online, with credit card and enhanced ACH.