Happy holidays! This is SmartBrief's last publication for 2019. To close out the year, we have selected the most-read stories that have caught readers' attention and informed their workday. Hope you enjoy this special edition, and we look forward to keeping you smart in 2020!

Amazon's AmazonCommercial platform is an entry into jan/san products and could portend additional private-label product categories. "I believe this is just the beginning for Amazon and not just a test, and our team expects Amazon to ramp up their B2B private label offering very quickly over the next two to four quarters," said Brian Fricano, CEO of SustainableSupply.com.

Millennial buyers make more industrial purchases from manufacturers, whereas older generations prefer distributors, according to a UPS report. Millennials also tend to use mobile apps to order products at a higher rate and rely on social media rather than sales representatives as a secondary source, the report states.

Amazon uses an automated tracking and termination process in its fulfillment centers to monitor employee productivity and issue warnings when they fall short of goals. Amazon offers retraining for workers who struggle to meet expectations but critics say the process creates a stressful work environment.

The American Trucking Associations is predicting that 160,000 truck driver positions won't be filled 10 years from now, more than twice the 60,800 vacant jobs recorded last year. An aging workforce and difficulty recruiting women are cited as factors in the projection.

Distributors should consider replacing outdated enterprise resource planning systems "one piece at a time," with product information management systems often being a good place to start, writes Joe Bennett of Unilog.

Roughly 640 truck carriers have closed up shop during the first half of the year, more than triple the number in the same period in 2018, including HVH Transportation, which recently left about 150 drivers stranded with their loads. Industry execs say trucking companies that increased pay and spent profits on new equipment were caught short as trucking demand and spot prices diminished.

Much attention has been paid to measuring the performance of sales representatives, but what about sales managers? Colleen Stanley offers five ways to measure sales management success.

Distributors have several options when it comes to fixing or ditching high-volume, low-profit accounts, writes Randy MacLean. "These accounts represent the biggest opportunity for senior management intervention that will produce immediate and significant profit gains," he writes.

Representatives who focus on selling only what they can are often too willing to waste time on the wrong prospects or settle for undesirable results, writes David Brock. "People who focus on selling what they need, will nearly always find a way to achieve their goals," Brock writes.

Distributors can improve retention and engagement for new hires by training in small doses, incorporating company culture where possible and talking about opportunities for advancement early, says Kelly Jones of the National Association of Electrical Distributors. "Preferably by the end of their first week on the job -- and definitely within their first 30 days -- you want new hires to feel welcome, supported, and invested in," she says.

A survey of nearly 1,000 leaders by Carey Nieuwhof reveals, at least anecdotally, the deep mistrust and discouragement younger and older leaders feel about each other. Younger leaders feel older counterparts are stubborn and inflexible in decision-making and accepting change, while older leaders believe younger people are entitled, don't work hard and think they have all the answers.

Small, frequent acts of appreciation by leaders -- such as sending handwritten thank-you notes, giving specific praise and remembering people's birthdays -- go a long way toward employee satisfaction, writes Lolly Daskal, who offers 25 such suggestions. "Some leaders take for granted that employees are there to do the work tasked to them, and think that because it is expected, there is no need for a thank you ... that is far from true," she writes.

Don't miss the NAW 2020 Executive Summit: INNOVATE TO DOMINATE, Jan. 28-30! This year's forward-looking program and networking with distributors who are your peers will really shake up your thinking, provide you with fresh ideas and critical thinking, and give you a rare chance to benchmark your business. You'll walk away with valuable insights that you'll translate into ideas to help you run your business more effectively and profitably. Register today.

Growing in popularity within our industry, the NAW Certificate in Distribution Professional Management Program is ideal for high-potential managers who seek to complement their professional development with a strong emphasis on practical application within the distribution field. Three, one-week sessions at Texas A&M University focus on Generating and Managing Growth (Feb. 10-14), Distributor Capability Development (April 13-17), and Optimizing Distributor Profitability (Oct. 19-23). Get all the details and enroll your high achievers today before the seats are gone.

Called the "Master class in innovation for distributors," "Innovate to Dominate: The 12th Edition in the Facing the Forces of Change Series" has arrived. A roadmap for innovation, it helps distributors connect the dots between the forces of change and how distributors can change their business to capture opportunities -- and defend their business when necessary. The best innovations are about getting ahead instead of catching up. Order your copies to read over the holidays.

In observance of New Year's Day, SmartBrief will not publish Tuesday and Wednesday. Publication will resume Thursday.