Though there was a fair amount of news from company announcements this past week, it was ID blogs from Grainger Show, thought leadership and market analysis pieces that had the most traction.
Here's this week's Top 5
How Grainger KeepStock Goes Way Beyond Inventory Management: When I was at Grainger Show Feb. 12 in Orlando, FL, Grainger executives showed and told a group of trade publication editors and I the capabilities of the company's inventory management program — KeepStock — and its more advanced program — Managed MRO. See my biggest takeaways from that.
What Amazon’s Entrance Into Delivery Means For Distributors, And B2B Commerce Overall: This piece was posted Feb. 15 but continues to be well-read. Amazon's reported upcoming entry into the business delivery space, though almost expected, has raised eyebrows across the distribution space and B2B commerce overall. Here from three prominent B2B commerce service providers about how they gauge Amazon's new impact.
Grainger CEO Says US Branch Count Will Stay Put Through 2018: Grainger shed nearly 100 physical branches during 2017 — most of them outside the U.S. — but at Grainger Show, chairman and CEO DG Macpherson said the company plans to keep its current branch count steady throughout this year. Learn more here.
Distributors, Do You Know What You're Doing?: Nearly every distributor goes into a new year with the mindset of achieving considerable growth. But how many companies are really successful at accomplishing what they eagerly set out to do? Here, Darrell Sterling discusses the vital element of accountability when it comes to setting a yearly plan and sticking to it.
See Which Industrial Suppliers Were Named To The 'World's Most Ethical Companies' List: The Ethisphere Institute recently released its annual "World's Most Ethical Companies" accolade, honoring 135 companies that influence and drive positive change. Five of them are direct suppliers to the industrial distribution market. See who they are.
