Applied Industrial Technologies reported fiscal fourth-quarter net profit of $59 million on total sales of $896 million, both up from a year ago. The distributor saw growth in almost all of its top verticals while increasing full-year net profit to $145 million from $24 million.

Some online-first wholesale marketplaces have benefited from the shift to virtual trade shows during the pandemic. In-person shows have their place, but "the efficiency of being able to shop online and have access to thousands and thousands of brands, the catalog deck that you get, just can't be matched," Faire Chief Financial Officer Lauren Cooks Levitan says.

Continued growth in e-commerce and retailers' efforts to boost inventory levels are contributing to rising demand for logistics space. "With no signs of abating, we expect tight market conditions to persist through 2022 and likely beyond," according to Prologis officials.

A good onboarding process begins as soon as a hire is made, as this time should be used to inform the new employee about the process, connect them to relevant company leaders and prepare for the new hire's arrival. Avoid providing too much information at once, offer clear expectations and work to help new hires not only understand the company, but ideal customers as well, writes Tirzah Thornburg.

QuickBooks has amassed more than 6 billion views for its TikTok hashtag challenge #QuickBooksVictoryPose, an example of the platform's growing popularity for business-to-business marketing. Marketers can benefit from TikTok by using videos that entertain as well as educate, focus on small-business microinfluencers who "resonate" with targeted audiences and use hashtags to learn who is using their products and services.

Some employers are considering increasing health insurance for unvaccinated employees by up to $50 per paycheck because of potential cost risks. "[I]t feels a little better from the employer's perspective to be able to say, 'We're not mandating it, but we want to nudge you along the road to getting vaccinated,'" says Mercer Health's Wade Symons.

Interchange rate increases and changes to rate tiers implemented in April are the largest in a decade, according to Bloomberg News. The fees target payment types common in the wholesale distribution industry. Stream the "Restructured Rate Tiers and Increased B2B Card-Not-Present Transaction Costs" podcast from Unified Payments Group to learn more.