If you’re a distributor, keep an eye on White Cap, which – thanks to the help of CD&R and The Sterling Group – is
Ian Heller
Ian Heller is the Founder and Chief Strategist for Distribution Strategy Group. He has more than 30 years of experience executing marketing and e-business strategy in the wholesale distribution industry, starting as a truck unloader at a Grainger branch while in college. He’s since held executive roles at GE Capital, Corporate Express, Newark Electronics and HD Supply. Ian has written and spoken extensively on the impact of digital disruption on distributors, and would love to start that conversation with you, your team or group. Reach out today at iheller@distributionstrategy.com.
Articles by Ian Heller
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not just “advanced technology” – it’s a learning technology that improves on its own without human intervention. AI relies on
Most customers think they buy from you more often than they do in real life. Similarly, customers think they understand everything they need to
Can there be a golden rule for such a broad discipline as distributor marketing, which includes everything from public relations to direct mail, advertising
If you really want to supercharge your sales, look no further than your largest customers.
When it comes to taking advantage of manufacturing marketing co-op funds, too many distributors are leaving money on the table.
The Wholesale Change crew will talk about how, why and if you should build your own marketplace to fight back.
Distributors are learning how to build cultures that drive innovation; don’t wait. The disruptors are at the gate and the battle for distribution supremacy
If Amazon Business owns the customer, warehouses your products, does the picking, packing and shipping and handles the entire transaction – why do they
It’s easy to find ways of boosting margins – the hard part is prioritizing the approaches that provide the greatest return for the least
It’s fair to question whether these events are correlated or it’s just a coincidence that Amazon Business is (apparently) thriving in various international markets
Amazon is the most obvious example of marketplaces that carry B2B SKUs, but you can find them on Google Shopping, Walmart.com, Alibaba, eBay Business
Private equity isn’t new – even if it’s new to you. Arguably, PE as an investment method has been around for more than 100
In this episode of Wholesale Change (May 27, 2020), Distribution Strategy Group’s Ian Heller and Jonathan Bein discuss why you might have built the
I think a good rule of thumb for distributors is that you can’t complain about your e-commerce failure if your problems are self-inflicted.
In this episode of Wholesale Change (May 20, 2020), Distribution Strategy Group’s Ian Heller and Jonathan Bein discuss the importance and future of marketplaces
Distribution Strategy Group’s Ian Heller and Jonathan Bein discuss the importance and future of value-added services in wholesale distribution. They also discuss why distributors
Despite the many columns and webcasts predicting distribution’s post-pandemic “new normal,” it’s going to be a long time before our industry settles back into
How Your Reps Can Make Calls without Visiting Customers Background As of this writing, the coronavirius (COVID-19) is infecting an increasing number of people
An Amazon Post Full of Nonsense Carries a Serious Underlying Message We all know the world is not fair. For one thing, celery is