As distribution has grown more complex, data has become more prolific and decisions more consequential. But clarity hasn’t kept pace.
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Distributors pricing effectively offer value-added services and technical services that allow them to charge more.
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Your value proposition is based on a set of market assumptions, and AI has the potential to upend those assumptions.
Are we in an AI bubble? And if so, what happens to distributors if it bursts?
Acting fast is important because there are deadlines for filing protests and lawsuits.
In a volatile market, buyers rely on the partner who helps them execute reliably and confidently when conditions change.
Some distributors are growing fast with the help of AI, and will soon surpass bigger, slower-moving rivals.
Data cleanup isn’t a project with a finish line.
What began as a limited AI pilot has evolved into a broader internal rollout.
But the impact of agentic commerce will not be uniform across segments such as MRO.
Distributors who adapt their planning approach now will be the ones ready still standing for disruption,
AI makes me faster at what I already know.
The AI ordering tool is one piece of broader technology and productivity push.
For distributors, this signals a future where orders may be initiated and completed by AI systems rather than by buyers manually browsing ecommerce sites.
Customer service orientation is not a department.
It is an operational mindset that starts inside the four walls.
It’s not too late, but if you wait the AI gap gets wider.
Distributors that historically optimized digital content for human browsing may need to rethink their data architecture for machine consumption.
The distributors that succeed will be the ones who reframe modernization as gaining control of pricing data, pricing decisions, and pricing direction.
Among distribution companies scaling AI projects, 55% are led by executives and only 15% by IT teams.
As wholesale distributors embrace AI-powered operations, new security threats demand new defenses.
When I started at Grainger working in the warehouse, products to me were the things I picked, packed, and shipped every day. Bearings, fasteners,
Sysco is expanding the platform with new functionality called “Swap and Save.
Distributors need people who understand the problem and can build targeted AI solutions.
Why “gentle transitions” become risky in the age of AI.
Why trust and a weekly cadence turn tools into results.
The first 75 registrants will receive access to a complimentary pre-conference strategy briefing led by Distribution Strategy Group’s research team.
AI has all the information. Your veterans have all the context.
Winning the complex sale isn’t about heroics—it’s about a system that works across the entire sales cycle.
AI can eliminate employees’ tedious tasks, allowing more time for important work. AI should be a boon to employees, not a threat.
AI isn’t a productivity tool. It’s a platform shift.
Google’s message is clear: AI is no longer confined to search boxes and chat interfaces. It is moving directly into commerce.
AI will allow distributors to make it easier for customers to buy and use the time saved to strengthen relationships.
AI hiring is no longer confined to innovation labs at wholesale distributors.
When inventory is planned and controlled correctly, it frees up dollars to devote to other initiatives. Here are key tools and strategies.
Pricing is the one place where math and momentum will work in your favor.