Ferguson, Grainger and Amazon Business kept the top three spots on Modern Distribution Management's Top Distributors list for 2020. Airgas, Motion Industries, Fastenal, Watsco, McMaster-Carr, Winsupply and Core & Main rounded out the top 10.

Over the next three years, 60% of companies are likely or very likely to invest in warehouse automation, according to a survey by DC Velocity and ARC Advisory Group. Warehouse management systems were a priority for 36% of respondents, followed by warehouse labor management systems at 16% and conveyors/automatic sortation at 13%.

Among enterprises that gave in to ransomware demands, 4 of 5 were hit a second time, finds a survey of 1,263 security pros in countries including the UK, US, Singapore, Germany and France, conducted for Cybereason. About half of respondents suspected the second cyberattack came from the same source as the first.

Artificial intelligence tools can help remotely located salespeople sell better while increasing customer interactions, writes Proton.ai founder and CEO Benj Cohen. "When great tools handle the planning and prioritization of sales activities, sales teams can turn previously lost time into more conversations with customers," Cohen writes.

Business-to-business buyers are seeking a human, personalized experience from emotionally intelligent and empathetic vendors, writes Pitney Bowes' Ryan Higginson. Other trends emerging from the pandemic that will have staying power include self-service, social media as a key tool for customer engagement and virtual and digital experiences, Higginson writes.

Lina Khan, the recently confirmed chair of the Federal Trade Commission, has criticized Amazon for what she calls "predatory pricing tactics" and has argued that antitrust law should consider whether such companies are hurting their competitors. Khan has bipartisan support in Congress and may introduce regulations targeting Amazon, writes Ian Heller of Distribution Strategy Group.

Because we know ourselves best, we're prone to applying our personal standard to others, thus overestimating or over-criticizing people or institutions, writes Morgan Housel. "Only when you get to know someone well do you realize the best you can do in life is to become an expert at some things while remaining inept at others -- and that's if you're good," Housel writes.

"Future-ready" organizations after the pandemic are transforming themselves to win their categories, focus on learning from the top down and default to speed over inaction, say Diane Brady, Chris Gagnon and Elizabeth Mygatt of McKinsey. "And on the balance of making decisions with super accuracy or speed, I'll tell you, the balance is moving toward speed and then getting the right people involved," Gagnon says.

Suppliers are increasingly selling direct, customer demographics are skewing younger and many distributors are struggling to keep up. Distributors are grappling with fundamental changes in the expectations of their supply chain partners. Suppliers continue to report frustration with their distributors' poor digital capabilities. Join NAW on June 29 at 2 p.m. for this free, live webinar with Ian Heller and Jonathan Bein of Distribution Strategy Group, who will recommend actions distributors should take to address this growing channel conflict. Register today.

Designed for C-suite executives, these roundtables provide actionable strategies that will increase your company's competitive advantage. Companies belonging to this community are from distribution firms between $100 million and up to $1 billion in annual sales. You'll engage in thought-provoking conversations with your peers and hear from industry experts on topics that will ultimately increase your profits! Register today.

How have distributors been innovating their business during the pandemic? Find that out and much more from 10 distributors who tell their stories and share ideas for both surviving and thriving in a drastically changed business environment. Author Mark Dancer shares up-to-the-minute ideas and insights from distributor leaders based on their experiences and lessons learned from the coronavirus pandemic. Order this just-released e-chapter, "Distribution Leans In: Stories of Resiliency and Innovation During the COVID-19 Pandemic."