As distribution has grown more complex, data has become more prolific and decisions more consequential. But clarity hasn’t kept pace.
Articles
Menu
Distributors pricing effectively offer value-added services and technical services that allow them to charge more.
Pick something. Use it on real work. Get good at it.
Upcoming Programs
Join us on Mar 18, 2026 at 9PT/12ET to learn how distributors measure customers, markets, and workforce to drive smarter decisions.
Join us on Mar 25, 2026, 9PT/12ET to explore the forces shaping wholesale distribution, from M&A and tech to strategy and leadership.
Join us on April 1, 2025 at 9PT/12ET to explore inventory planning strategies that hold up when markets don’t.
Join us on Apr 7, 2026 at 9PT/12ET to explore emerging AI capabilities and practical use cases for distribution leaders.
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.
This post previews some of the key findings in the third report based on our research for the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors into how
Wholesale Change hosts Ian Heller and Jonathan Bein dig into public distributors’ earnings reports from across segments to bring you insights into how your
The increase in digital buying behavior is here to stay, pandemic or no – especially as the number of millennial decision-makers rises. If your
In this episode Ian Heller welcomed Alibaba’s John Caplan to the Wholesale Change Show to discuss Alibaba’s capabilities and the marketplace’s long-term plans.
Amazon Business is projected to make $52 billion in sales by 2023. For distributors to fend off this AI-powered giant, they’ll need to understand
When salespeople are slow to embrace ecommerce, they miss opportunities that not only hurt the company, but the customers they are trying to help.
If you are a distributor on a quest to get on page one of Google, don’t neglect the importance of being found locally. Here’s
Learn how Amazon uses AI and how distributors can fend off this B2B juggernaut with their own strategy around product recommendations, search relevancy and
To understand how vulnerable a distribution vertical is to disruption, look at the relationship between the product category’s complexity and the ability for the
Successful ecommerce in B2B is wildly more complex than in retail. Multiple users, workflows, e-procurement, punchout, email-to-order conversion and many more challenges make it
Recently, the Atlantic posted a story about the resilience of human societies in the face of disaster. The author made a strong historical argument
Setting a Minimum Order Quantity is quick, predictable, and perfectly suited for the V-shape recovery. It’s a great strategy for distributors that have taken
In this episode we explain why the old assumption that distributors can be “High Tech” or “High Touch” is a destructive myth.
We talk a lot about the importance of sales reps’ selling value, rather than going directly to price.
Read about five common mistakes distributors make when considering and offering vending and inventory control solutions, and how to overcome them.
Do you feel like your ecommerce platform is broken – not delivering the ROI you expected? You’re not alone.
This post summarizes some of the key findings in the second report based on our research for the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors into how
Marketplaces are among the most successful business models of the modern era. From Amazon to Google to Grainger’s Zoro, there’s clearly good money in
Some distribution verticals are much more vulnerable to disruptors than others. Why was office supplies hit so hard by marketplaces but building products has
Selling more to existing customers is more profitable than acquiring new customers. So why don’t many distributors succeed at effectively cross-selling to their customers?
Returned goods can hurt productivity, reduce profitability, and damage customer and supplier relationships. No wonder most distributors focus on reducing them – but they
There is a way to get over the widely recognized “small-order” issue in distribution in a truly actionable way. Establishing and monitoring Minimum Order
Here’s what to consider when considering what “product” means to your distribution business and your customer relationships.
Many distributors have spent time creating a value proposition their companies rally around, but salespeople often stumble when it comes time to sell that
How can you tell whether your website is working for your customers? Start with the why, and implement ongoing evaluation of how successful your
Here’s why hybrid models are ideal for this new sales landscape, how outside sales reps are primed to dominate this disrupted environment, and what
If you hide so well – in your office or among your own employees – that your employees can’t recognize you, then you are
Distributors hate returns. In addition to refunding the sale, they often have to liquidate the product and deal with the administrative hassles ranging from
Distributors know that any digital initiative requires a great product database. Even after all these years, defining the requirements, nailing down the process, choosing
This is a look into the future of wholesale distribution. Join us as we discuss how disruptors will drive consolidation as distributors pool resources