E-commerce and private label were front of mind for many distributors this year, with these topics making up four of MDM's top 5 most-read premium articles. The perennial issue of how to make small customers profitable rounds out the list.

Here are the Top 5 premium articles from MDM in 2014:

1. Behind Grainger's E-Commerce Strategy
In 2013, Grainger surpassed $3 billion in sales from e-commerce channels, representing a third of total company sales. The distributor also launched many initiatives related to continued development of its online strategy. This article delves into the philosophy Grainger takes when approaching e-commerce and what's next for the distributor.

2. 2014 State of E-Commerce in Distribution: The Maturing E-Commerce Channel
E-commerce as a percent of overall revenue for distributors continues to grow, and this article – MDM's annual look at e-commerce in distribution – examines why it is a priority for distributors along with the growing role of mobile for the industry.

3. The Drivers of Private Label in Distribution
About 40 percent of distributors in an MDM survey said they offered private label. This article looks at why private label offerings are growing and how the private label landscape has shifted in recent years.

4. Strategies for Private Label Success
Creating a successful private label strategy requires more than just putting the distributor’s name on the products. This article looks at key elements of building a private label strategy and the decisions distributors need to make to successfully implement that strategy.

5. Making Money with Small Customers
There perception in sales that the smallest accounts are not worth the time and effort to obtain the small amount of sales they provide isn't necessarily true. Shifting how these customers are served can result in a significant improvement to the bottom line.

Read more from MDM's Premium archive here.