Hello, DSG Blog readers! I’m excited to connect with you, share fresh ideas, and spark new conversations. Some of you may know me as a speaker, consultant, or National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW) Fellow. A few years ago, I authored Innovate to Dominate: The 12th edition in the Facing the Forces of Change® Series—the latest installment in that epochal series. Alongside other works for NAW, it marked a turning point in my journey. Today, I’m all in as a writer—publishing here and on Substack—exploring what’s next and championing bold opportunities for distributors to lead the supply chain into the future.
Be transformational
Distributors have always been vital connectors in the supply chain—efficient, resilient, and reliable. But in today’s rapidly changing environment, the question is no longer whether distributors can digitize. It’s whether they can reimagine their role entirely.
In a recent edition of Innovating Communities with Mark Dancer, I offer distributors a respectful push: a challenge to think beyond artificial intelligence (AI) upgrades and operational efficiency and toward transformation that benefits not just your bottom line but the communities you serve.
Most distributors are well into their digital evolution. They’ve invested in automation, improved customer portals, adopted AI for forecasting and quoting, and optimized their internal systems. These efforts have made distribution faster, smarter, and more responsive. But for all the progress, we’re still playing the same game—delivering the same goods, just more efficiently.
What if there are bigger opportunities? What if distributors can be more?
Distributors have historically responded to waves of change: globalization, mass retail, and ecommerce. Each time, they’ve adapted—scaling up, modernizing, protecting margins. Yet, they’ve largely followed trends rather than creating them. They’ve run faster races on someone else’s track.
Today, we stand at the edge of a new era. Digital technology offers not just better performance but the potential for reinvention. And yet, most distributors are applying AI to reinforce their existing model rather than rethink it. What if distributors stepped into a new identity instead of simply modernizing—becoming platforms for possibility, engines of community well-being, and intermediaries of knowledge, not just products?
This isn’t a utopian vision. It’s a practical response to the unmet needs of communities in the digital age.
To illustrate, I recently spoke with Max Meister, co-CEO of a German distributor and host of the Supply Chain Heroes podcast. In our conversation, we explored what it might look like for distributors to redefine their business models—not just to stay competitive but to become forces for good.
Here are five shifts that emerged from our exchange—complemented by insights from the book Proximity by Robert Wolcott and Kaihan Krippendorff—that can guide distributors toward this new path:
- Proximity as a first principle. Leverage digital tools to bring value closer to the customer—not just in geography but in timing, relevance, and responsiveness. This isn’t just about last-mile logistics. It’s about designing systems that serve customer needs in the real world in real-time.
- Partnering with co-creators. Local owners, technicians, educators, and entrepreneurs are the lifeblood of any thriving community. Distributors can support them by offering access to physical space, technical tools, or new forms of collaboration. In doing so, they become not just suppliers but accelerators of local progress.
- Stewardship as strategy. Investing in your community isn’t just good citizenship—it’s good business. Training programs, education partnerships, and civic engagement build loyalty, attract talent, and differentiate your brand. Distributors who support their communities today earn resilience for tomorrow.
- Reclaiming the human side of work. AI can’t replace meaning, craftsmanship, or trust. Distributors that elevate service, storytelling, and hands-on expertise will stand apart in a digital world. This is your opportunity to restore dignity to essential work and reframe your business around values that matter.
- Moving from scale to significance. The chase for bigger warehouses, faster shipping, and broader coverage has led to diminishing returns. Instead, look for opportunities to go deeper—making your work more intentional, your offerings more aligned with local needs, and your success more connected to community outcomes.
None of this requires a wholesale reinvention overnight. It starts with a conversation—with your leadership team, customers, suppliers, and community. What unmet needs do you see? What assets can you offer? What experiments might you try?
One example I shared in the newsletter involves a food service distributor who turned part of his warehouse into a professional kitchen. Built initially to demo equipment for suppliers, it now hosts cooking classes for students and offers training in culinary arts and service roles. It’s not just a marketing effort—it’s a new kind of value creation rooted in place and people.
This transformation is well within reach for any distributor willing to ask a bold question: What else could we be?
The road ahead won’t be easy. But it’s filled with promise. If you’re curious, open, or skeptical—I invite you to join the conversation. Because the future of distribution isn’t just about technology. It’s about imagination.
And it starts now.
Be collaborative
I write every article as a collaboration and welcome your feedback and suggestions. If you’d like to talk, let’s arrange a call. You can email me at mark.dancer@n4bi.com or leave a comment at the bottom of this article. Either way, let’s embrace the future together.
Mark Dancer is a writer and speaker focused on innovating distribution to help customers and commerce flourish in the digital age. With more than 25 years of experience, he brings forward big ideas for transformative change. As a Fellow of the NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence, he authored Innovate to Dominate: The 12th edition in the Facing the Forces of Change® Series. His Substack, Innovating Communities with Mark Dancer, explores how reimagining the places we all live and work can help build a better future.