When tariffs were announced in February, we cautioned that the best strategy for distributors was to focus on their processes so that they could facilitate passing through the price increases. Part of our guidance was to automate implementation of price increases, review T&Cs for quotes, contracts, and SPAs, and to communicate. In fact, back in December we shared with a … [Read more...] about IST Update – Impact of Tariffs on Ship and Debit (SPA) Programs
Insights
Industrial Supply Trends Economic Snapshot – Q1 2025
This is the inaugural article for a series in ISA focusing on the top industries and products for industrial supply distributors from Kevin Coleman our collegue at Channel Marketing Group. Kevin has 30 years experience leading Market Intelligence teams for leading manufacturers such as Avaya, Philips Lighting, and Signify. Kevin will each quarter, profile a different … [Read more...] about Industrial Supply Trends Economic Snapshot – Q1 2025
What AI topics are highlighted at ISA25?
The current economic and industry-specific forecast for the Industrial Channel do not show double digit growth. Historically when the market is slower growth the focus on how to grow with end customers shifts to gaining more share and automating tasks that your team does manually. In looking at ISA25 this year one session really jumped out to me that is all about helping … [Read more...] about What AI topics are highlighted at ISA25?
Copper, Steel, China and More About Tariffs
This month has been an interesting one as a content provider for the Industrial Channel and keeping up with the Tariff news has been a daily occurrence. We published a column in our sister ElectricalTrends.com publication this week that we wanted to share with our Industrial Supply Trends Readers. There are some tariffs we know (China, imported steel and aluminum) and then … [Read more...] about Copper, Steel, China and More About Tariffs
Fastenal Investor Day Insights – Opinion
Fastenal Investor Day Slide - March 13, 2025 One of the biggest stories I have been writing about this past year has been on Business transformation, and on the very large end of the distribution demographic landscape, perhaps no company exemplifies long-term, wholesale change than Fastenal. Yesterday on March 13th Fastenal held a close to 6-hour Investor Day presentation … [Read more...] about Fastenal Investor Day Insights – Opinion
Pricing on Your Industrial Website
Warning … there are solutions to help you break through paralysis! We wanted to share this article and add takeways and comments. Dimtry Kon founder of Access Development Solutions who helps Channel Marketing Group Trends publications with our ecommerce initiatives and content at CMG. The Online Pricing Challenge It’s fascinating to watch distributors tackle digital … [Read more...] about Pricing on Your Industrial Website
Q1 Pulse of Industrial Supply Survey Now Open
The quarter started with bad weather in many parts of the country. From freezing cold to snow … and yes, snow in Florida, New Orleans, and Texas. While Mother Nature had her way the political winds from Washington, DC are also causing trepidation. Consider: Tariffs on China … Canada and Mexico On, then off, then on, then off / delayed, to now possible early April tariffs … [Read more...] about Q1 Pulse of Industrial Supply Survey Now Open
Does your Industrial Data work for you?
That’s the question many senior executives ask themselves regularly about data is how to harness it for practical use? You have hundreds of thousands of SKU's from hundreds of manufacturers and sell them to thousands of customers. You have a mountain of data inside your ERP, a data lake, and on spreadsheets. We wanted to share this article and add takeways and comments from … [Read more...] about Does your Industrial Data work for you?
MSC Industrial Series Parts 2 & 3 Overview
In our distributor series in collaboration with Modern Distribution Management we covered the "big" changes a leading distributor - MSC Industrial has been making to continue their journey from a "spot buy" distributor to a "Mission Critical" distributor. In Part 2 and Part 3 of the series we dove deep in MSC's digital programs and mission critical initiatives. Behind MSC’s … [Read more...] about MSC Industrial Series Parts 2 & 3 Overview
How to Avoid Three Big B2B Distribution Digital Death Traps
As a distributor building a digital strategy and creating digital solutions, I’ve worked with advanced and basic software solutions. I’ve been fortunate to be on distribution teams and work with distribution clients over the past 15 years learning sometimes the hard way, the key mistakes to avoid on a digital journey. 1: Mistake of Investing in technology instead of talent The … [Read more...] about How to Avoid Three Big B2B Distribution Digital Death Traps
