Distributors who adapt their planning approach now will be the ones ready still standing for disruption,
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AI makes me faster at what I already know.
The AI ordering tool is one piece of broader technology and productivity push.
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For distributors, this signals a future where orders may be initiated and completed by AI systems rather than by buyers manually browsing ecommerce sites.
Customer service orientation is not a department.
It is an operational mindset that starts inside the four walls.
It’s not too late, but if you wait the AI gap gets wider.
Distributors that historically optimized digital content for human browsing may need to rethink their data architecture for machine consumption.
The distributors that succeed will be the ones who reframe modernization as gaining control of pricing data, pricing decisions, and pricing direction.
Among distribution companies scaling AI projects, 55% are led by executives and only 15% by IT teams.
As wholesale distributors embrace AI-powered operations, new security threats demand new defenses.
When I started at Grainger working in the warehouse, products to me were the things I picked, packed, and shipped every day. Bearings, fasteners,
Sysco is expanding the platform with new functionality called “Swap and Save.
Distributors need people who understand the problem and can build targeted AI solutions.
Why “gentle transitions” become risky in the age of AI.
Why trust and a weekly cadence turn tools into results.
The first 75 registrants will receive access to a complimentary pre-conference strategy briefing led by Distribution Strategy Group’s research team.
AI has all the information. Your veterans have all the context.
Winning the complex sale isn’t about heroics—it’s about a system that works across the entire sales cycle.
AI can eliminate employees’ tedious tasks, allowing more time for important work. AI should be a boon to employees, not a threat.
AI isn’t a productivity tool. It’s a platform shift.
Google’s message is clear: AI is no longer confined to search boxes and chat interfaces. It is moving directly into commerce.
AI will allow distributors to make it easier for customers to buy and use the time saved to strengthen relationships.
AI hiring is no longer confined to innovation labs at wholesale distributors.
When inventory is planned and controlled correctly, it frees up dollars to devote to other initiatives. Here are key tools and strategies.
Pricing is the one place where math and momentum will work in your favor.
Tomorrow’s warehouse leaders will be expected to think like operators, analysts, and strategists at the same time.
All 50 states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Washington, D.C. have introduced AI legislation.
With no federal statute enacted, states have moved aggressively.
There are two types of leaders: the “Quarterly Distributor” and the “5-Year Distributor.”
IFS said the acquisition extends its industrial AI platform into warehouse operations, connecting manufacturing, warehouse execution, and supply chain processes within a single system.
Legacy systems are at their breaking point. Distributors need AI-driven, cloud-based enterprise systems to expand margins and build resilient, scalable businesses.
Off-the-shelf technology often falls short of the needs of mid-sized distributors. Custom-built systems are expensive and inflexible.
Watsco is applying AI across its analytics, ecommerce, and customer service tools.
In distribution, onboarding’s not as simple as handing over a laptop and a pricing strategy.
As AI investment continues at record pace, its environmental footprint is becoming impossible to ignore.
Tariff shifts hit the front lines first, long before ERP rules adjust, and that mismatch triggers early buys, overrides, and inventory drift. If it