Thought Leadership and Software for Wholesale Change Agents
News
All the latest reporting and analysis from Distribution Strategy Group.
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Augment Acquires AI Startup Merlin to Expand Deeper into Wholesale Distribution
Augment said Merlin has been collaborating with customers representing more than $20 billion in combined distributor revenue, including Ewing Outdoor Supply, Insco Distributing, Brooks Safety Solutions and Reece.
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Avnet Sales Rise 34% in Fiscal Third Quarter on Broad-Based Demand
CEO Phil Gallagher said sales and earnings exceeded expectations, citing demand across core markets and continued focus on cost control and inventory management.
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US Foods Launches Signature Program to Help Hospitality Operators Manage Costs and Labor
The company said the program is designed to help operators reduce waste, improve efficiency, and identify opportunities to increase traffic and bookings.
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Graybar Posts Record Profit as First Quarter Sales Rise 12.4%
Growth in the quarter was also supported by acquisitions. In March, Graybar acquired Broken Arrow Electric Supply, expanding its presence in Oklahoma. The deal marks the company’s 20th acquisition over the past decade.
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Rexel Returns to Growth Across All Regions as U.S. Demand Drives First Quarter Gains
For distributors, the results underscore a familiar pattern. The U.S. market is driving growth, but gains are concentrated in specific end markets, particularly those tied to digital infrastructure and the energy transition.
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Summit’s Dwayne Roberts to Distributors: Start AI Small, Prove Value Fast, Then Scale
Roberts will share that approach at Applied AI for Distributors conference in Chicago, where he will join Natasha Broxton, founder, owner and chief executive officer of Alitura Group and Select Auto Parts and Sales, and Stu Tisdale, senior vice president and chief experience officer at ADI Global Distribution, on a panel.
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Sysco Expands Use of AI Tools to Boost Sales and Customer Growth
The company’s primary AI platform, known as AI360, is being deployed across its sales organization to help representatives identify opportunities, improve customer interactions, and increase order size.
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Nexans Acquires Republic Wire in Push to Build U.S. Low-Voltage Cable Platform
Republic Wire serves electrical wholesale distributors, utilities and municipalities across the United States and Canada from a single manufacturing and distribution campus outside Cincinnati.
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Applied Industrial Sales Top $1.3 Billion as MRO Demand Strengthens
For the first nine months of fiscal 2026, sales totaled $3.6 billion, up 8.2% from $3.3 billion in the prior year period.
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Watsco Strikes Deal to Acquire Jackson Supply, Expanding Sunbelt Footprint
Watsco has acquired 72 businesses since 1989 as part of a strategy to expand in the fragmented North American HVAC distribution market, which it estimates at $74 billion.