These are tumultuous times in wholesale distribution: U.S. small business sentiment fell in February to the lowest level since May due to continued concerns around inflation. In addition, the consumer price index, a broad measure of goods and services costs, increased 0.4% for the month and 3.2% from a year ago. Combine this with strikes at East Coast ports and shipping restrictions through the Panama Canal, and you've got a messy situation.
But when it comes to those all-important buyers, this economic data hardly matters: they're more concerned with the customer journey. In fact, 86% of B2B retailer buyers said they're willing to switch suppliers if another B2B web store offers a better experience, according to new survey data from Sana Commerce.
So what are wholesale distributors and manufacturers supposed to do with this? Where do you focus your attention and resources? How do you look at this data and see its relevance to your business? This week, Kevin and Tom look behind the headlines to bring you deep analysis and insight into these topics and more - it's an episode to help you make heads or tails of a constantly changing wholesale marketplace!
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