Watsco, Winsupply and Ferguson took the three top spots on a list of the 30 leading HVAC and refrigeration distributors, with each posting over $1 billion in sales. R.E. Michel and F.W. Webb were among other distributors in the top 10.

Target is trying out last-mile package delivery from a Minneapolis hub using drivers from its Shipt service, while Walmart is having its own electric vans deliver orders near its corporate headquarters in Arkansas. In-house delivery could help both retailers compete with Amazon while avoiding delays and high costs from major shippers.

Customer-facing B2B e-commerce has a different focus and uses different systems than conventional IT, often requiring a separate team to manage it properly, experts said at a recent event.

Global on-time port arrivals for container ships have dropped from over 70% in 2019 and 2020 to roughly 40% in March, with delays averaging longer than six days, according to a Sea-Intelligence ApS analysis. The delays are attributed to heavy business restocking and longer unloading times for ships, and they have resulted in surging freight rates and disruptions for manufacturers and retailers.

Language and word choice are key components of sales, and salespeople must avoid the use of jargon that may confuse or irritate customers. "We are far more impactful and effective if we adopt language, process, techniques that are aligned with those that customers already use," David Brock writes.

Self-help advice about decluttering, morning rituals, deep breaths and technology overuse rarely addresses root causes or acknowledges everyday challenges, writes LaRae Quy. "[I]f what is festering is not healed, you'll end up an old person eaten up with anger because you didn't evolve into the person you wanted to become in life," she writes.

"Fierceness" is an important leadership quality that can be argumentative and aggressive if misused, but the ideal response is to hone this talent rather than suppress it, according to a Paul Graham essay that Ed Batista also comments on. "If you're given a sharp knife, it seems to me better to use it than to blunt its edge to avoid cutting yourself," Graham 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.

Author of NAW bestseller "Driving Profitable Growth" Senthil Gunasekaran writes, "Growth planning has always been essential when operating a distribution company. That's why we created the distributor's playbook to generate-manage-sustain competitive advantage. But this year, distribution leaders must account for ways their operations have changed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Your strategy might mean the difference between stabilizing your business and downsizing -- or closing your doors." Read his post.

NAW and Distribution Strategy Group have teamed up on a seven-part free series called, "Adding Value in a Post-Pandemic World: New Leadership Strategies for Distributors." We focus on innovative ways for distributors to differentiate themselves from industry disruptors. Distributors will understand the challenges facing the industry, and will be armed with new modes of thinking and information to build robust strategies with staying power. Each part includes a free research report to download and a free webinar to watch live and on demand. Sponsored by Oracle Netsuite, Zoro, Conexiom and McFadyen Digital.