Indian River Consulting Group's Pandemic Revenue Index of 13 distributors was up 2.6% for the week of Oct. 12-16. Seven companies reported a year-over-year sales increase.
E-commerce sales for B2B distributors will increase by 10% in 2020 compared with 22% last year, according to the 2020 Distributor 300 report. Total distributor sales are expected to come in at $5.58 trillion, down 5% from 2019.
Free Webinar: Thursday, October 22, 2020 Learn how distributors are turning connections into sales, maximizing operations, and building success with Inform ERP's industry-specific technology & continuous innovation to reach customers whenever and wherever the market takes them. Register here
Supply chain professionals are facing demands to be profitable and satisfy consumer delivery needs amid the challenges caused by the pandemic, according to a survey by freight broker GlobalTranz Enterprises. A majority say they've adopted omnichannel strategies and are outsourcing some logistics operations while dealing with higher-than-usual late or failed deliveries as they seek to meet peak demand.
The coronavirus pandemic is accelerating several trends in commercial real estate -- including the rise of e-commerce and remote work -- and some properties may need to be repurposed to serve changing needs. Some retail spaces could be converted into distribution facilities, although Prologis notes that there are various challenges involved in retail-to-logistics conversions.
How retailers should embrace the new normal The pandemic has reshaped consumer behaviors and the customer experience, most likely permanently. As we look to 2021, retailers need to focus on planning for the future with strategies that meet both the immediate and long-term needs of their customers and maximize the potential of all their sales channels. Join SmartBrief and retail industry experts to explore how the retail landscape has changed this year and how retailers can succeed in 2021.
Business-to-business marketers can adapt their strategies during the pandemic by mapping how purchasing journeys are shifting and offering valuable research to high-value prospects to help them manage their own changing demands, John Hargan writes. Adjust performance metrics as necessary and experiment quickly with new channels and creative, he advises.
LinkedIn is the most-used social platform by business-to-business marketers, followed by Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube, respectively, according to a Sagefrog study. B2B marketers responded with the same ranking for which social platform delivers the most engagement, and 62% say paid social has resulted in positive return on investment.
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A tribute video for retiring co-founders was a perfect time for Diana Peterson-More to practice the principles of smart, succinct presentations, which include clarity of content and not running over your time. In many situations, you'll want to leave time for Q&A to unlock "the interchange between the speaker and the audience," she writes.
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.
When speaking about "Optimizing Distributor Profitability: Best Practices to a Stronger Bottom Line," co-author Pradip Krishnadevarajan said, "We present 47 best practices for distributors to apply in their businesses, along with plentiful resources and examples for mastering the process. However, we're aware that just crossing the starting line can be a challenge -- especially in such uncertain times. So, we thought we would share a few tips -- or mantras -- to motivate and guide you through major change in your business." Read his post.
If you missed NAW's Oct. 20 webinar, "Distributor Suppliers Speak Out on Disruption, New Channels and Who Will Win," then you will want to watch it on demand. On this 60-minute webinar, which was based on original research with manufacturers during COVID-19, Ian Heller and Jonathan Bein shared some fascinating insights about how manufacturers view the emerging technologies that are transforming distribution channels. Some of those insights are alarming for distributors. Also, read the research report that accompanies the webinar. Sponsored by Unilog.
