Prices for finished goods advance 4.2 percent for 12 months ended July 2010.
Wholesale Prices Rise 0.2% in July Read More »
Sales increase driven by paper, furniture and metal products.
Canadian Manufacturing Sales Edge Up in June Read More »
Profit also improves for Home Depot.
Home Depot Sales Up 1.8% in Second Quarter Read More »
Profit for the first half was up 20% from the same period last year.
Graybar Sales Up Slightly in Second Quarter Read More »
Interview highlights distribution leader’s thoughts on leadership, hiring.
Leadership Insight from Cardinal Health’s CEO Read More »
Fourth-quarter sales for the foodservice distributor were up 13.9%.
Sysco Sales Up 1.1% in Fiscal 2010 Read More »
Mike Emerson: How you define which dollars are worth more must link back to your pay plan.
All GP Dollars Are Not Created Equal Read More »
Year-to-date sales in first half of year up in U.S. and Canada.
Power Transmission/Motion Control Sales Rise 2.4% Read More »
Q&A with Vetus Partners’ Jon Skelly: what distributors should keep in mind when determining what to pay for a business.
Most Common Mistakes When Valuing an Acquisition Read More »
Inventories grew in June, up 0.1% from May.
June Wholesale Trade Revenues Down 0.7% from May Read More »
U.S. sales were up 17 percent overall for Grainger.
Grainger Organic Daily Sales Grow 15% in July Read More »
Rebates and networking are top two reasons cited in recent survey.
Why Members Say They Benefit from Buying Groups Read More »
It’s more than ironic that at a time when the economy is choking on high unemployment, many distributors are finding it hard to find good talent. It’s a warning sign you can’t ignore. How good do you want your company to be through all this turbulence? Pretty good? Great? The best?
You need engaged team members scrambling just as hard as you to find the right answers to deal with the upheaval right now. In most cases it’s not the same skills as five years ago.
Commentary: The Distribution Talent Challenge – Good is Not Good Enough Read More »
A look at housing starts and spending trend data in third quarter 2009.
U.S. Construction Statistics: Second Quarter 2010 Read More »
Modern Distribution Management’s Industrial Inflation Index measures a cross-section of industrial supplies.
MDM Industrial Inflation Index: June 2010 Read More »
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Download this Issue: MDM Aug. 10, 2010 Read More »
News briefs from July 26-Aug. 10, 2010.
MDM News Digest 4015 Read More »
Due to continued tight credit, distributors see increased demand for trade credit.
Still Feeling the Effects of the Financial Crisis Read More »
This article looks at buying and marketing groups’ value propositions and how they have evolved to draw and retain new members. The second part of this article will appear in the Aug. 25, 2010, issue of MDM and will focus on challenges buying and marketing groups face in today’s markets.
Dozens of organizations in the distribution industry exist with the sole goal of leveling the playing field for independent distributors. At their core, these organizations want to leverage volume through pooling distributor member purchases with a group of preferred vendors.
These buying and marketing groups continue to grow revenues to compete with the purchasing power of large national distributors. For example, NetPlus Alliance, founded in 2002, has 388 distributor members with $5.2 billion in combined annual sales. Affiliated Distributors has 530 distributor members, with a combined $27 billion in sales across six product categories. IMARK Group in the electrical sector has more than $15 billion in combined sales.
“The groups keep the independents independent,” says Susan Vinson, president of Consolidated Distributors Inc., a buying group for distributors of foodservice disposables with combined sales of $2.5 billion. “We have a lot of large chains operating in our industry. For the independents in our group to have the same advantage, they need a group affiliation.”
Many in the industry say that if these groups want their model to be sustainable, they must continue to add value that goes beyond just pricing and rebates. Adding value to the entire channel – manufacturer, distributor and end-user – is the key.
The Evolving Role of Buying Groups Read More »
As banks have cut back on lending to businesses – especially small business – the role of trade credit has become more important to the channel. This article explores how distributors are balancing the risk of economic uncertainty with the need to use trade credit to grow sales.
Having up to 90 percent of a company’s customers reliant on distributor financing is not uncommon in the wholesale distribution space.
“Around the world, as commercial lenders have cut back on lending money to business, we’ve seen companies step forward to make up that gap,” says Abe WalkingBear Sanchez, founder and president of A/R Management Group, a consulting firm focused on cash flow management and credit sales.
In some sectors, such as those that serve construction end-markets, distributors have seen an even greater need these services from their customers.
Trade Credit Grows in Importance Read More »
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