Irfan Badibanga, the new president of US Foods' CHEF'STORE, says the company will continue expanding around the country to give US Foods customers "multiple channels to interact" and sees CHEF'STORE as a valuable option for restaurant operators and at-home cooks. "We want to support all that are looking for diversity in product sizes to meet their needs at a price that works for them," Badibanga said.

Almost 70% of business-to-business buyers surveyed by Amazon Business said they would use online channels for at least 40% of purchases by the end of 2022, compared with 56% in a survey last year. More than 90% said they like making B2B purchases online more than buying from traditional offline distributors.

Supply chain disruptions caused by things such as severe weather, political unrest or emerging technologies can be handled in three ways, including adopting digital tools more quickly and expanding collaboration with partners and customers, according to a Gartner study. "The greater the ecosystem, the greater the reach to sense changes and increase options for a path forward," said Chris Poole, practice vice president with Gartner Supply Chain.

Smart supply chains incorporate the internet of things, blockchain and artificial intelligence with support from the cloud and supply control towers, all working in tandem "to achieve advanced logistics workflow automation and optimization while reducing supply chain costs and risks," writes Roman Davydov, e-commerce technology observer at Itransition. These tools work best when adopted at the same time, Davydov adds.

Seth Richtsmeier describes six ways marketers can boost brand awareness through content, including how to take a strategic approach and the importance of choosing the right social platforms. Authenticity is key, Richtsmeier writes, advising marketers to post behind-the-scenes content, adopt user-generated content and use humor to drive connection.

Salespeople should be prepared to ask good questions, have a positive attitude and quote prices during sales calls, writes consultant Troy Harrison. Bringing along sales tools and being willing to get a commitment from the customer can also improve the chances of success, Harrison writes.

To discuss employees' retirement plans without running into age discrimination, employers should limit conversations to succession planning or transitioning duties, attorneys Erica Flores and John Gannon write. Citing a recent court case, Flores and Gannon note that employers must carefully choose how they talk about hiring, firing or other employment decisions.

Writer Stephen King made it a habit to nail rejection slips to his wall, and he got a bigger nail when there were too many for the first to support, something Dan Rockwell writes is a good leadership reminder that failure is always part of the process of success. "The more you try, the more you fail -- until you don't," Rockwell notes.

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