Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has pointed to progress on addressing inflation and has noted supply chain issues that had exacerbated pricing pressure have eased. "We're seeing those supply chain problems significantly mitigate," Yellen says. "Inventories are being built; shipping costs have come down."
US LBM says it will sell three of its divisions -- Feldman Lumber, Rosen Materials and Wallboard Supply Co. -- to L&W Supply, a subsidiary of ABC Supply Co. Financial details were not disclosed, but the deal is expected to close by mid-2023. The three divisions operate in 12 states at 42 locations.
Hy-Vee is focusing on microfulfillment and grocery pickup to get the most out of its e-commerce operations, staying away from a pickup fee and providing some delivery perks for free to H+ members, said CEO Jeremy Gosch. The retailer plans to push into Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee with an online-first strategy over physical locations in the coming year and will invest further in its Dollar Fresh Market concept for areas not suited for a larger Hy-Vee store.
Metaverse and augmented and virtual reality solutions are a multibillion-dollar opportunity that many companies have yet to ready themselves for, per a report by TD Synnex, which found that only about 14% of partners are already planning to offer AR/VR solutions in the next two years. TD Synnex Chief Strategy Officer Sergio Farache says "[s]pecific vertical or horizontal use cases that have a real tactical implementation" offer the best opportunities.
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Worldwide Logistics Group CEO Joe Monaghan writes that port and rail congestion will finally ease this year, as disruptions that began at the start of the pandemic dissipate. Other predictions for the year include a high number of blank sailings, continued tight warehouse capacity and an ongoing decline in shipping rates.
A shift to 24/7 operations at ports and a plan to increase truck drivers are among steps the Biden administration has taken during the past two years to ease supply chain pressure, according to a White House blog post. The post states that more than 70% of supply chain constraints stemming from the pandemic have been addressed but that an uptick in COVID-19 cases in China has increased supply chain pressure during the past three months.
Business-to-business marketers must adjust strategies to cater for changed buying behavior such as self-directed journeys and larger purchasing groups, writes Latane Conant, chief marketing officer at 6sense. Focus on delivering a B2B customer experience that's based on relevance and timeliness, Conant advises, offering tips on how to do so.
It may be true, in many regards, that "nice guys finish last," and David Bodanis, in his book "The Art of Fairness: The Power of Decency in a World Turned Mean," says there's a middle path where leaders live by a rule of decency along with "a good dose of street-smarts" to ensure accountability. "[I]t's really useful to be generous ... but you still have to audit your teams just to be sure no timewasters work their way in, eager to 'take' and never give back," Bodanis says.
Make a good impression on job candidates by focusing interview questions on competency and creating a transparent, efficient recruitment process, advises Adam Robinson, co-founder and CEO of Hireology. Be flexible when scheduling multiple interviews and maintain a good reputation by never ghosting candidates, Robinson writes.
