Indian River Consulting Group's Pandemic Revenue Index of 12 distributors increased by 0.5% the week of Aug. 9 to 14 after declining the previous week. "This represents sales growth in two of the last three weeks and the first mid-month sales increase since March," Mike Emerson writes.

The use of blockchain technology to instantaneously monitor and manage the food supply chain has been accelerated by the pandemic and the trend is likely to continue growing in the future, predicts Louis Biscotti of Marcum's Food and Beverage Services. "Better tracing, possibly through blockchain, could help make weaker links stronger and the supply chain more durable and flexible, when events make rapid response so essential," he writes.

Hackers have been exploiting the pandemic to attack supply chains with "phishing lures" disguised as crisis reports and COVID-19 websites, but these aren't the only pandemic-related threats to cybersecurity. Having below-average numbers of workers in offices and other facilities means fewer people are monitoring server rooms and keeping credentials secured.

History shows brands that cut marketing spend amid an economic downturn may hamper their ability to recover, while successful companies adjust their allocations, continue research and development efforts, and refrain from price increases, write Nirmalya Kumar and Koen Pauwels. "Marketing in a recession will never be easy, largely because it often involves going against instincts and standard operating norms," they write.

Distributors must recruit motivated salespeople, have a detailed onboarding process for them and encourage them to work together to get the best results, writes Darrell Sterling, regional sales manager at Johnstone Supply.

Reflecting on the need to attract and retain loyal customers, a panel of business experts shares advice. Jennifer Murray of Nitro says to make every experience as smooth and seamless as possible, while Kevin Bush of Grass Fed Milk recommends using a social media strategy to level the playing field.

Build trust during a crisis by identifying your values, being truthful at all times and laying out a clear and inspiring plan for the future, writes Gregory Shea of The Wharton School. "Get your followers what they need to succeed, tend to their well-being, and then (and only then) do you tend to yourself," he writes.

Employees who are upset or don't feel valued will be worse at their jobs, which ultimately costs a business money, writes Rajkumari Neogy. "I always tell my leaders their job is not to become therapists, but rather to become aware of each employee's needs, values, and desires," Neogy writes.

If you missed NAW's August 18 webinar with Ian Heller and Jonathan Bein, you can watch it on demand. Based on original research, Ian and Jonathan discussed how distributors evaluate and respond to emerging technologies, and how they plan to incorporate new technologies to build their competitive advantage. Is Artificial Intelligence a threat, an opportunity or both? What about blockchain, cryptocurrency and marketplaces? Also download the 20-page research report for more data findings. Sponsors are 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!

If you missed NAW's July webinar with Ian Heller, you can watch it on demand. Wholesale distribution has never seen disruption like what we're seeing today. Ian provides an overview of current and upcoming technology disruption in the industry that is driven by new, advanced technologies and outside entrants. He discusses how these technologies will change customer expectations and how distributors should change to meet them. Also download the 20-page research report that provides even more intelligence. Sponsors are Unilog and SAP.