Sysco will drop minimum order requirements for restaurants of all sizes starting today, in an effort to work with customers that might be struggling to stay open this winter. Less than 10% of Sysco's foodservice customers are currently closed, CEO Kevin Hourican said, and the change is especially designed to help small restaurants stay afloat.
Grocers including SpartanNash, Wakefern-owned ShopRite and Hy-Vee are among the grocers that will administer the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it is approved, the Department of Health and Human Services announced. The food retailers will work through the Federal Pharmacy Partnership Strategy for COVID-19 Vaccination, with the goal to ensure that "all Americans have access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines when they are available," said HHS Secretary Alex Azar.
Amazon will soon offer its Key by Amazon In-Garage Delivery Service, currently available in 50 cities, in more than 4,000 locations, enabling shoppers to have their grocery orders left inside their garages instead of on the front step.
[Webinar] Key 2020 Supply Chain findings This year, we've learned that real-time inventory visibility is the most critical component of a reliable supply chain. Without it, we're forced to wait until the problem manifests itself in the form of stock-outs or the production line grinds to a halt. Join supply chain experts for a webinar Nov. 19th as they discuss why localization is gaining favor. Register now
Distributors need to be aware of several needs when they acquire a competitor or are acquired themselves, writes FleetPride founder Bill Wade. Those include having a business plan, communicating directly with employees and vendors, and being disciplined with capital allocation, he writes.
The growth in e-commerce is making warehouse operations more complex and prompting more investment in automation and other technology, Clint Reiser writes. He notes that Amazon has changed what customers expect from e-commerce.
Salespeople should have honest conversations with prospects to identify which deals are stalled and which ones are dead to prevent clogging up the sales pipeline, writes Colleen Francis. Break down large business proposals into smaller pieces to usher prospects toward decisions and use thoughtful questions to determine whether new incentives can help "un-stick" a deal, Francis suggests.
There are seven ways business-to-business marketers aren't maximizing marketing budgets, including only targeting the most senior prospects, ignoring millennials and not embracing agile marketing, Steven Wilson writes. Wilson delves into each problem and explains how B2B marketers can rectify them.
Change up this year's performance reviews and development conversation by asking employees to compile their successes ahead of time, reflect on what they learned and review how the organization has responded to their needs during the pandemic, writes Julie Winkle Giulioni. "Remembering that effort and partial wins deserve recognition, too," she writes.
What does it mean to be a "digital distributor" and how should you change your strategy due to the explosive growth of marketplaces like Amazon Business, Google Shopping, Walmart.com and many others? In our Nov. 17 NAW webinar, Ian Heller will evaluate trends, discuss alternatives and help you understand how to respond to the disruption in the distribution industry. Join us on Nov. 17 for the free webinar and sign up to be notified when this free research report is ready to download.
Join your distributor colleagues for the NAW Digital Summit, Jan. 27-28, a welcoming forum to network, learn and share ideas. We'll have a condensed schedule packed with critical areas of focus that you must consider when bracing for an unpredictable future, including the Annual Economic Update and a Post-Election Analysis with an exploration of what the new landscape means for your business. The always-popular discussion roundtables will help you uncover new ideas about leading in a time of transition. Sign up and we'll notify you when registration is open.
NAW Institute author Senthil Gunasekaran writes, "If you're considering analytics as a means to drive profitable growth in 2021, you're on the right track. The distribution industry is facing an uncertain market, digital acceleration and a changed landscape. Analytics can help distributors make data-driven decisions to stay on course and be successful. Yet many still hesitate to invest in analytics. Or they aren't putting the full force of their current analytics into play." Read his post.
