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distribution

Your Product Isn’t What You Think It Is

When I started at Grainger working in the warehouse, products to me were the things I picked, packed, and shipped every day. Bearings, fasteners,
  • Brian Hopkins
  • January 29, 2026
AI in Distribution

Sysco Uses AI, Digital Sales Tools to Boost Case Volumes as Restaurant Traffic Slows

Sysco is expanding the platform with new functionality called “Swap and Save.
  • Distribution Strategy Group
  • January 28, 2026
AI in Distribution

“Higher-Value Work” Isn’t a Slogan—It’s a Job Description

Distributors need people who understand the problem and can build targeted AI solutions.
  • Brian Hopkins
  • January 27, 2026

Upcoming Programs

  • Upcoming Program

AI News and Gurus: The Show for Intelligent Distributors

Join us on Feb 3, 2026 at 9PT/12ET to learn how distributors can close the skills gap and turn AI pilots into real business
Register Now
  • Upcoming Program

02/04/26 Wholesale Change

Join us on Feb 4, 2026, 9PT/12ET to explore the forces shaping wholesale distribution, from M&A and tech to strategy and leadership.
Register Now
  • Upcoming Program

The Distributor’s “Technology Dreamstack”

Join us on Feb 11, 2026 at 9PT/12ET to learn how distributors are building modern, integrated technology stacks with ERP, data platforms, and AI.
Register Now
  • Upcoming Program

Ecommerce Platform Imperatives: The Distribution Leader’s Guide to Build, Acquire, or Overhaul

Join us on Feb 18, 2026 at 9PT/12ET to learn how distribution leaders are building, buying, or overhauling ecommerce platforms.
Register Now
AI in Distribution

The AI Attrition Myth

Why “gentle transitions” become risky in the age of AI.
  • Ian Heller
  • January 26, 2026
AI in Distribution

The Human Edge in an AI-Driven Distribution World

Why trust and a weekly cadence turn tools into results.
  • Brian Eason
  • January 24, 2026
AI in Distribution

Applied AI for Distributors 2026 Puts Focus on Execution as AI Reshapes Wholesale Distribution

The first 75 registrants will receive access to a complimentary pre-conference strategy briefing led by Distribution Strategy Group’s research team.
  • Distribution Strategy Group
  • January 20, 2026

Recent Reports

State of eCommerce

Navigating Distribution’s New Landscape in 2025

Strategic Approaches for Sustainable Growth

Best Practices to Compete in a Changing Market

AI in Distribution

AI as Augmentation, Not Replacement: A Winning Strategy for Distribution

Leaders must decide how quickly to move and invest in AI.
  • Josh Palubicki
  • October 7, 2025
AI in Distribution

GrubMarket Launches AI Reporting Agent to Streamline Food Distribution Operations

GrubMarket said the agent draws on its proprietary food supply chain industry knowledge graph and can orchestrate workflows across APIs and browser functions.
  • Distribution Strategy Group
  • October 3, 2025
AI in Distribution

WayPoint Analytics Introduces Prophet AI Expert System

The release is the first in a four-phase rollout of AI features planned by WayPoint.
  • Distribution Strategy Group
  • October 1, 2025
AI in Distribution

AI Is Critical, But Tech Execs Worry About Security and Personnel

Tech execs are also aware that AI can be used by bad actors, and 49.2% listed AI-driven cyberattacks as among their top concerns.
  • Don Davis
  • September 29, 2025
AI in Distribution

‘We Use ChatGPT’ Isn’t an AI Strategy 

Gains in productivity and profitability come from embedding AI deeper into your processes.
  • Ian Heller
  • September 24, 2025
Strategy

The Profit Barriers That Refuse to go Away

It is not what distributors are doing that could increase profitability. Instead, it is what they are not doing.
  • Al Bates
  • September 24, 2025
Distribution Sales Strategy

The Sales Activity Trap: Why Sales Teams Stay Busy but Don’t Improve

To move beyond surface-level analysis, leaders need a structured way to diagnose what’s really going on. That’s where the ROAM model comes in.
  • Mike Kunkle
  • September 24, 2025
AI in Distribution

Massimo Group Deploys Claude AI Across Oracle NetSuite Systems

The company expects the AI deployment to accelerate product development cycles and improve supply chain coordination.
  • Distribution Strategy Group
  • September 24, 2025
Marketplaces

The real impact of B2B marketplaces lies in the (near) future

B2B marketplaces are still the fastest-growing digital sales channel in B2B.
  • Brandon Kelley
  • September 23, 2025
AI in Distribution

Optimize Before You Scale: The Distribution Imperative

In distribution, the future isn’t “AI or not.” It’s AI that delivers profit and productivity—or falling behind those who make it happen.
  • Brian Hopkins
  • September 23, 2025
Operations

Critical Skills for Front-Line Leaders in Distribution Part 5

Time management is about setting the rhythm so that you’re working on the right things.
  • Will Quinn
  • September 22, 2025
AI in Distribution

AI Produces Quick Wins for Home Décor Distributor Howard Elliott

The ability of AI to recognize attributes in product images of 5,000 SKUs has played a part in making the ecommerce site easier.
  • Don Davis
  • September 10, 2025
Operations

Win the Returns Game: Turning Your Biggest Headache into Competitive Advantage 

Distributors gaining ground aren’t just processing returns, they’re using intelligent systems to prevent returns.
  • Brian Hopkins
  • September 9, 2025
Distribution Sales Strategy

The Real Reasons Distributor Sales Training Doesn’t Stick and What to Do About It

Sales training doesn’t fail because reps are lazy or incapable.
  • Mike Kunkle
  • September 8, 2025
Operations

A Hidden Margin Killer for Distributors: Inefficient Order Processing

Order processing rarely grabs headlines, but it often determines whether a distributor protects margin or watches it slip away.
  • Keith Fatula
  • September 3, 2025
Maximize Your Operation With the Right Warehouse Design and Layout
Operations

Critical Skills for Front-Line Leaders in Distribution

You get tested when power and systems go out and you’ve got three hours to figure it out before you miss every commitment.
  • Will Quinn
  • August 26, 2025
Distribution Technology

Beating Delivery Delays with Smart Logistics: Why Distribution’s New Competitive Edge Lives in the Last Mile

Smart logistics technology isn’t replacing human expertise, it’s amplifying it.
  • Brian Hopkins
  • August 26, 2025
AI in Distribution

Palmer Holland Rolls Out AI Product Platform to Streamline Product Data

Palmer Holland, a Cleveland-based specialty chemical and ingredient distributor, has launched an AI-driven product knowledge platform aimed at streamlining how customers and suppliers access
  • Distribution Strategy Group
  • August 26, 2025
AI in Distribution

Pattern Group’s $400 Million IPO Puts Distributors on Notice as Brands Double Down on Marketplaces

Pattern uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to process more than 46 trillion data points and add 100 billion more each week.
  • Distribution Strategy Group
  • August 25, 2025
2013 state of e-commerce in distribution
Distribution Technology

The E-Commerce Revolution is Pushing Distribution Toward a Digital-First Future

As a catalyst for transformation, e-commerce strategies can be tailored for distribution and leveraged to facilitate improvements across customer experience, sales enablement, and supply
  • Travis Rothstein
  • August 23, 2025
Distribution Sales Strategy

Riding the Distributor Sales Culture into Commodity Hell

In this article, we detail the problems of sales cultures in mature B2B markets.
  • Scott Benfield
  • August 20, 2025
Distribution Technology

Inventory as a Strategic Asset, Not a Liability 

The tools to transform inventory from liability to assets are available today.
  • Brian Hopkins
  • August 19, 2025
AI in Distribution

How AI Helps a Distributor’s Reps Save Time on Tedious Tasks

Deploying AI technology that understands the words salespeople speak is key.
  • Don Davis
  • August 14, 2025
Distribution Marketing

Marketing That Works While You Sleep: How B2B Distributors Are Winning With Automation 

Automation allows distributors to “be there” for buyers 24/7.
  • Brian Hopkins
  • August 12, 2025
Distribution Sales Strategy

You Think Your Sellers Are Good at Relationships – But Are They Really?

Most salespeople don’t have a purposeful plan for building business relationships.
  • Mike Kunkle
  • August 12, 2025
Distribution Sales Strategy

The Sales Rep Reimagined: Tech-Enabled Selling in 2025

Distributors that are winning in 2025 are the ones rewiring their sales model.
  • Brian Hopkins
  • August 5, 2025
Operations

Critical Skills for Front-Line Leaders, Part 3: Effective Communication

The best leaders don’t just talk. They listen. They translate. They show up. And they speak in a way that moves people forward.
  • Will Quinn
  • August 1, 2025
Distribution Technology

Voice Picking Technology: Tech That Boosts Margins and Worker Morale

Known as “pick-by-voice,” this system guides workers through their tasks using voice commands and barcode scan validation, creating a streamlined, hands-free workflow.
  • Patrick Hanrahan
  • August 1, 2025
Innovation

Reclaiming Time: Automating Accounts Receivable & Payables

AR/AP automation represents one of the fastest, most measurable wins in the automation journey.
  • Brian Hopkins
  • July 29, 2025
Distribution Sales Strategy

Distributor CEOs: Your Company Could Be Doing SO Much Better!

The most effective sales organizations have clear sales methodologies in place.
  • Mike Kunkle
  • July 25, 2025
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