DoorDash will provide on-demand last-mile delivery service to the independent retail partners of United Natural Foods. The new partnership allows UNFI's independent operators to use the DoorDash platform to offer e-commerce shopping, ordering and delivery options to their customers.

US retailers lose roughly $54 billion in sales annually to counterfeit imported goods sold by third parties on Amazon and other online platforms, reports the Buy Safe America Coalition, which includes the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors. "It was growing before, and the pandemic accelerated that because there are so many more people shopping online," says coalition spokesman Michael Hanson, who said the group supports the proposed federal INFORM Consumers Act, which would require marketplaces to collect certain information about sellers.

Distributors can manage inventory more effectively with a thorough self-audit, being honest about problems and experimenting with strategies other than just-in-time, writes Bridget McCrea. Automating additional processes and preparing for worst-case scenarios can also help, McCrea writes.

Salespeople can push potential buyers away by being too persistent, which often occurs when there aren't other promising prospects in the pipeline, writes Colleen Francis. "Remove this barrier completely by consistently prospecting, so even if a particular prospect isn't ready to buy today, you always have new opportunities to pursue," Francis writes.

Oracle Marketing Consulting's Chad White explains seven main factors that affect email deliverability and examines six business-to-business marketer behaviors that can hamper email campaigns. These include buying or renting email lists and procuring emails at in-person events.

The pandemic has nearly everyone reevaluating what they want from their career, with growth a priority even if a straightforward promotion isn't available, writes Julie Winkle Giulioni. She offers four questions that can help leaders understand what employees want, such as "What feelings would you like to experience more during your daily work?"

Psychological safety for employees should be seen as a resource for "experimentation, risk-taking, and vulnerability" instead of an end state that prioritizes "being nice" and stifles dissent and honesty, writes Ed Batista. Leaders must be clear about what "safety" means and leave room for emotional responses while also encouraging emotion regulation.

Many distributors experience the paradox of watching marketplaces grow sales at explosive rates while seemingly seeing no sales erosion to Amazon Business, etc., themselves. How can this be? What is the nature of the threat? When will it affect you? Most importantly, what should you do about it?. Discover the answer to these questions and more on Nov. 2 at 2 p.m. ET by registering today!

This 4-part series will take you from AI-unsure to AI-adopter through a riveting compilation of live webinars, thought-provoking articles and actionable whitepapers! You will gain the intel you need to formulate new strategies and ensure that your company thrives through this era of technology transformation. Register for this month's upcoming webinar "Understanding AI and How it Works" and learn the basics of Artificial Intelligence and how to understand business conversations about it.

Join NAW for an industry-wide virtual event for distribution CEOs on Tuesday, Nov. 9 from 2-3:30 p.m. Tailored specifically to CEOs of distribution companies with annual sales up to $80 million, the discussion will focus on the future of the distribution industry salesforce during a period of rapid post-pandemic change. NAW Institute Fellow Brent Grover will lead the discussion -- you don't want to miss out! Register today!