NetPlus Distributors Remain 'Primarily Positive' Amid Tariffs

Nearly 70% of members remained optimistic that 2025 would be up 3% or more year-over-year.

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NetPlus Alliance officials said Thursday that most of its members continued to anticipate year-over-year improvements this spring despite "a fair amount of reported uncertainty."

The buying group issued its latest quarterly "Industry Outlook" report, which surveyed members in April based on their results in the first quarter of the calendar year.

The group said that 54% of members indicated that their first quarters were up compared to the same quarter of 2024. Another 31% reported "steady" results, while 15% said that quarterly numbers were down. Member purchases from NetPlus suppliers and wholesalers, meanwhile, were up by just more than 5% in the quarter.

Despite the uncertainty roiling the broader economy — particularly the announcement of sweeping tariffs early in the month — 69% of NetPlus members still expected the full year to be up "3% or more compared to 2024" compared to 13% that anticipated a decline by that margin. NetPlus officials noted that those totals reflected a dip in confidence compared to its previous outlook, and that future reports could see further changes "as policies continue to shift."

"NetPlus is committed to being a trusted partner and catalyst for growth for our members," NetPlus President and CEO Jennifer Murphy said in a statement. “Administrations, policies and economic conditions may shift, but we know that maintaining deep relationships, intentional strategy and robust educational programs keep our community at the forefront of our industry.”

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