WPG Holdings CEO Frank Yeh remains optimistic about the company's prospects despite the coronavirus pandemic, and he has the company looking at the long term, as far out as 30 years. Yeh also discussed the company's efforts at smart warehouses, which will be introduced in 2021.
AAR Corp. developed the Eagle Career Pathway Program before the pandemic to address concerns it had about workforce development, and during the pandemic it has worked with Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin to find jobs for AAR's furloughed workers, says AAR executive Ryan Goertzen. Separately, AAR posted $8.2 million profit for its second fiscal quarter despite sales dropping to $403.6 million from $560.9 million a year earlier.
Modern Distribution Management (tiered subscription model)
(12/17)
SmartFocus on the Omnichannel Journey The consumer journey is ever-changing, with more shoppers than ever moving from in-store to digital purchasing while also looking for a seamless combination of the two methods. In this Walmart Media Group whitepaper, we look at how omnipowered solutions are being accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic, helping brands reach customers in new ways – wherever they shop. Download now
Digital investment is critical for distributors, says Shannon Hane of Adobe, and companies should invest in such e-commerce features as self-service account management, cutting-edge product-related content and easy purchasing. "You need to have some digital expertise in-house to guide your strategy," Hane says.
Maintaining Business Continuity in 2021 This year, every business needed to reassess how to do more with less overnight. Genpak was able to keep customers supplied and supported during these tough times using tools like sales order automation. Genpak's Director of Customer Service joined leaders at Conexiom to discuss how they were able to maintain continuity during the pandemic. Watch the on-demand webinar to learn from their experience.
Marketing experts share their business-to-business predictions for 2021, which include the need for an empathetic customer experience, the importance of macro-economic data and a continued shift to a more human, personalized approach. "Switch off the automated responses and focus on being even more human in 2021," says Brand Driven Digital's Nick Westergaard.
A business' brand image is important for potential customers' perception and ultimately its success, so Thomas Griffin lists some creative tools to bolster a business' efforts on social media. Griffin discusses management tools as well as tools for creating stories, headers and graphics.
EMarketer says mobile advertising will increase faster than it projected in March and top $156.38 billion by 2023, up by $1.12 billion, with video streaming, gaming and mobile shopping driving the revised prediction. For 2021, experts predict trends including the rise of conversational chatbots, audio marketing, social commerce and shoppable ads.
Unlock the transformative power of AI/ML in Retail The next 'normal' in retail will undoubtedly be digital, and it will increasingly be shaped by the adoption of the best tools for such complex decisions: artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies (AI/ML). Explore research findings from Google Cloud's recent online global survey and get ideas for business transformation and success in the "new" normal, download your complimentary copy today.
A good way to gain perspective on your business is to conduct 360-degree interviews with employees, vendors and clients by asking specific questions about strengths and weaknesses. After collecting the information, be careful of just addressing the small fixes and not focusing on long-term planning.
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. Watch SmartBrief and retail industry experts explore how the retail landscape has changed this year and how retailers can succeed in 2021.
In this capstone webinar for the NAW Series: How Technology Will Transform Wholesale Distribution, Author Ian Heller of Distribution Strategy Group will integrate the thinking of distributors, customers, suppliers and experts. He'll offer suggestions not only for specific actions distributors should take, but also for how distributors should adapt their businesses to ensure that they can successfully navigate the change. Register for this free Jan. 21 webinar at 2 p.m. Eastern. Sponsored by Unilog and PROS.
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.
Old school distribution is about stocking inventory, taking orders and serving demand. New school distribution is about innovating through customer services and working side-by-side with customers in the real world. The future of distribution is about solving problems in your customer's business -- often before your customer even knows a problem exists. Innovate to Dominate provides breakthrough ideas, lessons from leading distributors who are innovating and inspiration to help you lead your customers into the future and sustain your competitive advantage.
