That sense of urgency is fueling strong early interest in Applied AI for Distributors 2026.
Distribution Strategy Group
Articles by Distribution Strategy Group
The new capabilities signal how agentic systems may eventually take on larger portions of troubleshooting, quoting, and multi-step service workflows.
Dawes, who was appointed co-CEO in 2023, will be succeeded by vice president of operations Blair Feidler May 1.
CDF’s move into the Gallatin facility will consolidate headquarters, manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution operations as demand for commercial building products continues to rise nationwide.
For now, analysts say distributors are balancing steady sales against an uncertain macro backdrop.
Lowe’s announced in 2024 that it would deploy AI-driven forecasting and replenishment technology.
85% of B2B sellers plan to participate in Black Friday this year.
“Contractors want fewer tabs, fewer logins, and faster reports,” said Roofr CEO Richy Nelson.
SouthernCarlson supplies fasteners, tools, packaging, and related consumables to commercial, industrial, residential, and dealer customers.
DigiKey has launched an online tool that lets engineers and system designers configure custom power-supply units.
US Foods said the companies mutually agreed to terminate the information-sharing process launched earlier this year and will not proceed with a potential merger.
Equipment sales and product support were flat year over year in the quarter, while industrial parts revenue remained steady.
Both companies are expanding to support additional customers.
Affiliated Distributors members completed 75 acquisitions so far this year, including 24 deals for fellow members and 51 involving companies outside the group.
The Flash U.S. Composite PMI Output Index inched up to 54.8, from 54.6 in October, the highest reading since July.
Two-thirds of the distributors surveyed (63%) expect full-year sales to come ahead of 2024.
Attend the only event on real-world AI execution in distribution.
For distributors, the outage is prompting fresh scrutiny of digital-risk exposure.
Lowe’s has “a detailed road map of several additional high-impact AI initiatives” for Pro customers.
The newly closed FBM deal will broaden Lowe’s offerings for professional customers and help drive “long-term sales and profit expansion.”