Written by Mike Marks on Tuesday, 03 December 2019.
If branded manufacturer margins decline, some distributors may consider expanding their model to add private label revenue. This could be a good idea for the company, but it’s...
Written by Mike Marks on Tuesday, 05 November 2019.
Forecasters are pointing to market slowdowns in early 2020. And while things are expected to pick up again in the back half of the new year, this is no time to abandon your...
Written by Mike Marks on Tuesday, 03 September 2019.
There are two trends distributors should be paying close attention to in today’s market. One is understanding the role of technology, and the other is attracting and retaining...
Most distributors think they know their customers. Until they actually talk to those customers. Often, when distributors think about value propositions or differentiating...
When the ball drops, and 2019 flips to 2020, will you have closed some of the gap between you and your most innovative distributor competitors, or will that gap have widened so...
Distributors who are thriving – and there are many -- in today’s digitally driven market are those who play to win and not to lose. But adopting a winning strategy doesn’t...
Digital transformation. Consolidation. Growing concerns over manufacturers’ going direct. With all the shiny objects in front of distributors right now, it’s easy to ignore...
Written by Mike Marks on Monday, 12 November 2018.
A strong economy has provided distributors with more investment capital in 2018 than they've seen in over a decade. Even small, independent distributors are making investments,...
Most customers will ask for a price cut if you ask them how you can provide more value. But discounts are the surest way to erode margins and start a race to the bottom.
A lot of distributors have been operating in an echo chamber without realizing it. Distributors in an echo chamber don't measure anything, so they don't understand what's...
