Home Depot sees higher profit, pro sales growth in Q2 | Office Depot offers delivery via Uber Eats | Opinion: Congress needs to prioritize vote on antitrust bill
The Home Depot reported second-quarter profit of $5.17 billion, a 7.6% increase from a year ago, on revenue of $43.79 billion, up 6.5%, with the number of transactions dipping but average transaction value increasing. "During the second quarter, both pro and DIY sales growth was positive, with pro outpacing DIY," said Jeff Kinnaird, executive vice president of merchandising.
Office Depot customers in the US can now order school and office supplies from 900 Office Depot and OfficeMax stores and have them delivered via Uber Eats. Uber One subscribers can get free delivery and discounts under the new partnership.
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Third-party logistics providers should pay attention to trends in the foodservice industry, namely ongoing inflation and supply chain disruptions, growing demand for plant-based and natural products and prepared foods, and changes in food production capabilities, writes Brielle Jaekel, managing editor of Supply and Demand Chain Executive. "The growth that the foodservice industry sees means a change in processes and in capacity for 3PLs and their transportation companies," Jaekel writes.
Operating costs in trucking last year reached a record high of $1.855 per mile, a 12.7% year-over-year increase driven by a 35.4% jump in fuel costs and higher expenses for repairs, maintenance and wages, according to the American Transportation Research Institute. However, trucking companies did realize some efficiencies, with a 14.8% reduction in empty or "deadhead" mileage.
Only 5% of business-to-business buyers are actively looking to make a purchase at any given time, per analysis by the LinkedIn B2B Institute and Ehrenberg-Bass Institute. That fact, combined with B2B's lengthy purchase process, means B2B marketers "need to focus on being memorable among the 'not-right-nows' so when these buyers do enter the market, their brand easily comes to mind," writes Jason Ball, founder of Considered Content.
Using high-pressure sales techniques tends to backfire, so a different approach is needed, says Josh Braun, founder of Josh Braun Sales Training and the host of the "Inside Selling" podcast. Instead, Braun says, "when you make people feel heard and understood first, they're more open to what you have to say."
Scheduling 20 minutes into your day to do something playful, singing along with the car radio or trying something new can help get your creative juices flowing, write Dan Rockwell and Stan Endicott. "You will be more creative, more productive, and you will face uncertainty as an opportunity, rather than avoiding it," they write.
Some of your most productive and creative employees are hiding in plain sight, waiting for you to recognize their talent and nurture it, says Joel Garfinkle in this video. Garfinkle offers five tips for leaders, including giving talented team members new opportunities and rewarding different leadership styles to draw out more introverted employees.
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