The gates are closing. It’s now or never for digital adoption in B2B markets. The sharp increase in online engagement with customers in March and April 2020 was more than just a one-off blip due to COVID-19. More and more surveys are emerging that are reinforcing the idea that while COVID-19 spurred the shift to…
Strategic Planning
Why Distributors Can’t Innovate – and How You Can Start
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 will likely go to the swift and not the strong.
Is ‘Fulfillment by Amazon’ the Beginning of the End for Distributors?
Distributors worry that Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is assuming key distributor roles and erasing them from the equation. The service picks, packs, ships and even manages returns for retailers and distributors, as well as holds inventory in Amazon fulfillment centers.
Wholesale Change Show: Does “Fulfillment by Amazon” Mean the Death of Distributors? (June 24, 2020)
If Amazon Business owns the customer, warehouses your products, does the picking, packing and shipping and handles the entire transaction – why do they need you?
The Foundation for a Solid B2B Digital Strategy: Understanding Your Customers
Digital transformation has been a part of distributors’ language for many years. But the speed of transformation has varied: It’s hard, takes significant resources and in some instances, hasn’t been spurred by overwhelming customer demand.
Grainger Disinvests in Europe as Amazon Business Expands: What This Means for the Industry
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 while Grainger is not.
The Importance of Value-Added Services in Distribution Today
If you’re like most distributors, you already provide several value-added services at no cost to your customers. But have you analyzed the cost and value of those services? Chances are, you need to get more intentional about delivering, marketing and monetizing them.
What Private Equity Ownership Means to a Distribution Employee
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 years.
After the Crisis: What Distributors Must Do Next
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 a rhythm. For now, expect a “new abnormal,” where powerful forces will continue to transform the industry and redefine how you must compete to win.
Eat Lunch, Be Lunch, or Die
What if I told you you are losing 5-10% of revenue a year? Furthermore, you might not have even noticed. In this blog post, I’m going to explain why it is alarmingly easy to lose an obscene amount of revenue, without doing anything. Here are the 4 problems your business could be suffering from.