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Distribution Technology

Too Much Data, Too Few Decisions

As distribution has grown more complex, data has become more prolific and decisions more consequential. But clarity hasn’t kept pace.
  • Brandon Lassiter
  • March 13, 2026
Strategy

5 Habits of Distributors Highly Effective At Pricing

Distributors pricing effectively offer value-added services and technical services that allow them to charge more.
  • Don Davis
  • March 13, 2026
AI in Distribution

You Don’t Need to Know Which Model is Best. You Need to Use One

Pick something. Use it on real work. Get good at it.
  • Brian Hopkins
  • March 10, 2026

Upcoming Programs

  • Upcoming Program

Measuring What Matters: Customer, Market & Workforce Metrics

Join us on Mar 18, 2026 at 9PT/12ET to learn how distributors measure customers, markets, and workforce to drive smarter decisions.
Register Now
  • Upcoming Program

Wholesale Change

Join us on Mar 25, 2026, 9PT/12ET to explore the forces shaping wholesale distribution, from M&A and tech to strategy and leadership.
Register Now
  • Upcoming Program

Inventory Planning During Uncertain Times

Join us on April 1, 2025 at 9PT/12ET to explore inventory planning strategies that hold up when markets don’t.
Register Now
  • Upcoming Program

AI News and Gurus: The Show for Intelligent Distributors

Join us on Apr 7, 2026 at 9PT/12ET to explore emerging AI capabilities and practical use cases for distribution leaders.
Register Now
AI in Distribution

When AI Threatens Your Core Value Proposition: What Distribution Leaders Can Do Now

Your value proposition is based on a set of market assumptions, and AI has the potential to upend those assumptions.
  • Adriana McLane
  • March 9, 2026
AI in Distribution

How Bad Would an AI Bubble Burst Be for Distributors? 

Are we in an AI bubble? And if so, what happens to distributors if it bursts? 
  • Ian Heller
  • March 3, 2026
Operations

What Distributors Should Do Now Regarding Tariffs

Acting fast is important because there are deadlines for filing protests and lawsuits.
  • Don Davis
  • March 3, 2026

Recent Reports

The State of Distributor Pricing and Costing 

Closing the Execution Gap

Ecommerce Platform Imperatives

State of AI in Distribution 2026

Wholesale Change: How Private Equity Leaders Evaluate Distributors (June 9, 2021)
Wholesale Change Show

Wholesale Change: How Private Equity Leaders Evaluate Distributors (June 9, 2021)

John Schweig, Chairman of the Board at BlackHawk Industrial and Operating Partner at private equity firm Snow Phipps, joined hosts Ian Heller and Jonathan
  • Ian Heller
  • June 9, 2021
It’s Not Your Grandfather’s Industry Anymore
Digital Strategy

It’s Not Your Grandfather’s Industry Anymore

This post previews some of the key findings in the first report based on our research for the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors into how
  • Ian Heller
  • June 4, 2021
hand interacting with digital interface
Digital Strategy

Webinar: State of Technology in Distribution

In this webinar our hosts discuss how and where distributors are automating the customer journey, from searching for the right product to the purchase
  • Robert Kelley
  • June 3, 2021
How Satisfied Are Distributors with Their Core Technology Stack
Digital Strategy

How Satisfied Are Distributors with Their Core Technology Stack?

In our recent State of Technology in Distribution survey, we evaluated the core technologies, platforms and products used by distributors to manage their business
  • Jonathan Bein
  • May 27, 2021
Wholesale Change: Distributors’ Quarterly Checkup: Notable Results, Surprises & Market Moves (May 26, 2021)
Wholesale Change Show

Wholesale Change: Distributors’ Quarterly Checkup: Notable Results, Surprises & Market Moves (May 26, 2021)

In our regular quarterly checkup, Wholesale Change hosts Ian Heller and Jonathan Bein dug into public distributors’ earnings reports from Home Depot, Fastenal, CDW,
  • Ian Heller
  • May 26, 2021
The Most Common Mistake Leaders Make in a New Job
Distribution Industry Analysis

The Most Common Mistake Leaders Make in a New Job

The paradox of leaders in new roles is that the lessons they learned in their last jobs are often irrelevant in their new jobs
  • Ian Heller
  • May 19, 2021
Differentiation by Design: Moving the Distribution Industry into 21st Century Goes Beyond Digital
Distribution Sales Strategy

Differentiation by Design: Moving the Distribution Industry into 21st Century Goes Beyond Digital

Peter Jackson, CEO of Miller Industrial Supply, came up in the world of consumer marketing and design before breaking into industrial distribution when he
  • Ian Heller
  • May 17, 2021
Creating Value-Add in a Commoditized Industry
Wholesale Change Show

Wholesale Change: Creating Value-Add in a Commoditized Industry (May 12, 2021)

In this episode Peter Neuberger, President and CEO of United Performance Metals, joined Ian Heller and Jonathan Bein to talk about how the distributor
  • Ian Heller
  • May 12, 2021
5 Reasons Marketing Automation Fails (and How to Give It a Real Chance)
Digital Strategy

5 Reasons Marketing Automation Fails (and How to Give It a Real Chance)

When the ROI of marketing automation isn’t what you expect, don’t retreat to a basic email package. Before you go, get honest about whether
  • Debbie Paul
  • May 10, 2021
lightbulb
Digital Strategy

How Lawson Products Grew Its Enterprise Value by 10x: A Differentiation Case Study for Distributors

Mike DeCata, CEO and president of Lawson Products, loves the way distribution touches all of our lives, and it shows. His impressive career spans
  • Ian Heller
  • May 5, 2021
The Case for Marketing Automation
Digital Strategy

The Case for Marketing Automation in B2B

The scales have shifted. Buyers have evolved in the ways that they prefer to purchase. Technology, digital channels and non-stop connectivity continue to empower
  • Debbie Paul
  • May 3, 2021
The Distributor’s Fee-Based Services Imperative
Wholesale Change Show

Wholesale Change: The Distributor’s Fee-Based Services Imperative (April 28, 2021)

In this episode, Hurtte, of River Heights Consulting, joined Ian Heller and Jonathan Bein to talk about why, if distributors don’t have a plan
  • Ian Heller
  • April 28, 2021
sales person and worker shaking hands
Distribution Marketing

Webinar: State of Sales in Distribution: Part 2

In the second part of this two-part webinar series, Debbie Paul and Ian Heller discuss how to build a sales force that will differentiate
  • Debbie Paul
  • April 21, 2021
A Way Around Amazon: Portfolio Management for Distributors
Distribution Sales Strategy

Wholesale Change: A Way Around Amazon: Portfolio Management for Distributors (April 14, 2021)

Learn how distributors can analyze transactional and customer-provided data to generate industry-specific insights, develop robust benchmarks and tailor advice to match customer objectives.
  • Ian Heller
  • April 14, 2021
Why Distributors’ Customer Churn Management Efforts Aren’t Working
Distribution Marketing

Why Distributors’ Customer Churn Management Efforts Aren’t Working

Few distributors try to predict customer churn. Those that do, get it wrong because of how they define churn. The problem lies in how
  • Benj Cohen
  • April 7, 2021
A growing group of people with one clear leader in front
Distribution Industry Analysis

Distribution, Disrupted: How Associations Can Lead During Uncertain Times

In the wake of COVID-19, there has been plenty of speculation about the role of distribution associations and how they must adapt to disruption,
  • Ian Heller
  • April 2, 2021
Person passing the baton
Wholesale Change Show

Wholesale Change: Breaking Tradition: A Fresh Take on a 100-Year-Old Business (March 31, 2021)

Hosts Ian Heller and Jonathan Bein welcome Peter to the Wholesale Change show to provide his novel perspective on running a distribution company today.
  • Ian Heller
  • April 1, 2021
Why B2B Marketplaces Are Booming Today
Digital Strategy

Why B2B Marketplaces Are Booming Today

Despite early failure rates, B2B marketplaces mounted a major comeback and are rapidly outgrowing company-specific websites in many industries.
  • Ian Heller
  • March 26, 2021
Business person shaking hands with a field worker
Digital Strategy

2021 State of Sales in Distribution: How Consultative Sales Will Differentiate Distributors in the Post-Pandemic Normal

In this free whitepaper, we outline how distributors can build a more consultative and adaptive sales force to differentiate in 2021 and beyond.
  • Debbie Paul
  • March 24, 2021
sales person shaking worker's hand
Distribution Marketing

Webinar: State of Sales in Distribution: Part 1

In this webinar we take a look at the results of the 2021 State of Sales in Distribution survey.
  • Debbie Paul
  • March 24, 2021
3 Distribution Maxims That Are Wrong
Digital Strategy

3 Distribution Maxims That Are Wrong

Measuring profitability by enterprise gross margin is a sledgehammer approach to a problem requiring nuance and precision.
  • Ian Heller
  • March 22, 2021
The Lawson Products Path to Differentiation, feat. Michael DeCata, CEO of Lawson Products
Wholesale Change Show

The Lawson Products Path to Differentiation, feat. Michael DeCata, CEO of Lawson Products (March 17, 2021)

In this episode, DeCata joined Wholesale Change hosts Ian Heller and Jonathan Bein to talk about how Lawson Products is differentiating in today’s market
  • Ian Heller
  • March 17, 2021
How Technology Enables Sales Reps (Instead of Replacing Them)
Digital Strategy

How Technology Enables Sales Reps (Instead of Replacing Them)

With the right technology, sales teams can produce better results — for the customers, the sales reps and your bottom line.
  • Benj Cohen
  • March 10, 2021
How IMARK Group Is Helping Distributors Compete Amid Disruption
Digital Strategy

How IMARK Group Is Helping Distributors Compete Amid Disruption

Co-ops and marketing groups like IMARK Group play a big role in helping independent distributors compete in today’s fast-changing market.
  • Jonathan Bein
  • March 8, 2021
Quarterly Checkup: Beyond the Numbers with Office Depot, Watsco, Motion, The Home Depot and Henry Schein
Wholesale Change Show

Wholesale Change: Beyond the Numbers with Office Depot, Watsco, Motion, The Home Depot and Henry Schein (March 3, 2021)

Ian Heller and Jonathan Bein go beyond the numbers for Office Depot (ODP), Watsco, Henry Schein, The Home Depot and Genuine Parts Co/Motion Industries
  • Ian Heller
  • March 3, 2021
Office Depot
B2B eCommerce

Office Depot Hires Former Amazon Business GM – and That’s Just the Start

In a series of moves, including bringing on the executive who launched Amazon Business, ODP is joining the marketplace war. With a flurry of
  • Ian Heller
  • March 1, 2021
How to Overcome Resistance to Strategic Pricing
Distribution Marketing

How to Overcome Resistance to Strategic Pricing

Learn the secrets to successful strategic pricing implementation and get the results you need with buy-in from your entire team.
  • Ian Heller
  • February 24, 2021
2021 State of eCommerce in Distribution, Part 2: Distributors’ Playbook for eCommerce Success
B2B eCommerce

2021 State of eCommerce in Distribution, Part 2: Distributors’ Playbook for eCommerce Success

Distribution Strategy Group, formerly Real Results Marketing, conducted its ninth-annual State of eCommerce in Distribution survey from October-December 2020, updating the leading benchmark in
  • Dean Mueller
  • February 24, 2021
shopping cart overflowing with boxes
B2B eCommerce

Webinar: State of eCommerce in Distribution: Part 2

In this webinar, Part 2 in a series, Distribution Strategy Group’s experts provide a playbook on what to do in response to our survey
  • Dean Mueller
  • February 24, 2021
The role of associations in the distribution industry has evolved over the past decade as they work to add value for their members in a changing market marked by generational shift and consolidation. Ed Gerber, CEO of the Industrial Supply Association and distribution industry veteran, joins Distribution Strategy Group’s Ian Heller and Jonathan Bein for a look at how ISA is evolving to meet members’ needs in an unprecedented time.
Wholesale Change Show

Wholesale Change: The Role of Associations Amid Uncertainty (February 17, 2021)

In this episode, Ed Gerber, CEO of the Industrial Supply Association and distribution industry veteran, joined Distribution Strategy Group’s Ian Heller and Jonathan Bein
  • Ian Heller
  • February 18, 2021
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