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Mergers, acquisitions and consolidations were the leading emerging trends in the food distribution sector, according to executives polled for ID magazine's 31st annual survey. Forty percent of those polled have plans of making an acquisition in 1997, increasing by more than twofold from 18% in the 1995 survey. In 1995, 8% expected to be acquired, compared with only 3% in the 1996 survey. Technology was the second leading trend in the sector, with respondents frequently mentioning Efficient Foodservice Response initiatives. Performance is also expected to improve in 1997, with 73% reporting dollar sales increases and 73% posting case sales hikes., Big 'MACs' - mergers, acquisitions and consolidations - topped the list of emerging industry trends cited by executives who responded to ID's 31st annual survey. One comment summed up the [...]

A small stir was created recently at the edges of the industrial distribution industry by Wal-Mart Stores. In a transaction said to involve more than $300 million, Wal-Mart's Sam's Club [...]

Metal service centers are once again involved in market-wrenching consolidations. For buyers: More uncertainty ahead. An uncertain metals market is the least of the problems facing metal service centers-and the [...]

How important is the supply chain? To consumer businesses, it's everything. But, to an industry like electronic imaging, not enough critical mass exists to leverage huge economies of scale in [...]

Purchasing departments may have to accept longer supply delivery leadtimes during 1997 and, perhaps, during 1998. Some materials and commodity leadtimes, such as lead, have already begun to increase. According to Purchasing magazine's aggregate Leadtime Index, leadtimes have lengthened from 89 in September 1996 to 96 in April 1997.

Byline: Sara Yirrell We are already halfway through February and it is remarkably quiet on the consolidation front in the channel so far. But like a swan swimming gracefully in [...]

The polyethyelenes (PE) markets have seen some downward pressure in the last few weeks. Buyers and analysts are reporting falling prices. And most sources predict a continued downward trend through [...]

THE PERCENTAGE OF BUYERS WHO SAID PRICES ARE INCREASING WAS DOWN CONSIDERABLY IN AUGUST, according to Purchasing's business survey. Only 29% of buyers say prices were increasing, compared to 56% [...]

A survey of leading wholesalers reveals their major anxiety is the entry of giant multiples into the convenience store and wholesale industries. More than 72% of respondents identified the threat [...]

Southeastern industrial-PVF distributors expect a good market in 2000, especially after the last couple of years. It would be difficult to find a distributor of industrial pipe, valves and fittings [...]

Electronics buyers can expect distributors to emphasize value added and supply chain management services and to improve Web-based electronic commerce capability in 2000. More consolidation also is likely. Distributors say [...]

The new millennium brings with it the temptation to peer into the future, to envision what the industry may look like and how it might change in the future. This [...]

Increased IT capabilities across several departments allow for true activity-based management and streamline the flow of information from customers through to vendors. Information technology, and advances made therein over the [...]

In his seven years as a virtual consultative sales rep (VCSR) with XYZ Distributing, Inc., Future Town, USA, John Futureman has built his $13-million business by developing and implementing strategic [...]

VGDO rides the business-to-business e-commerce wave with direct links to vendors and customers, enabling it to achieve continual replenishment. Internet based business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce has, in the past decade, revolutionized [...]

In the warehouse, state-of-the-art technology in the form of chips, robotics, automation an satellite-tracking, facilitates the flow of product through the pipeline. In this era of 'clicks and mortar,' the [...]

A survey of 700 companies by the Warehousing Education and Research Council and Ohio State University reveals that 87% of respondents are planning changes that will make them more responsive to customers. Specifically, they plan to reduce delivery lead times, improve order accuracy and increase the pace of automation. By the year 2000 order shipment accuracy will have to be 98% if companies even want to compete. Delivery time will be under 40 hours., Industry players see shorter cycle times, error-free shipping, and greater use of automation as keys to greater competitiveness, a national survey reveals. What will it take to be a winning [...]

Speciality foods mainly consist of olives, pickles and olive oils although the number of foods that are classed as being specialities is increasing. Greek foods are selling particularly well because [...]

PARIS -- French theatrical distributor Bac Majestic said Monday that first half sales dropped 46% to 21.6 million € ($26.7 million), largely because of a restructuring exercise after its takeover […]

One of the strongest links in the American supply chain over the past 50 years has been the industrial distributor. Companies that take title to products, inventory them and then [...]

Distributors are still placing bets that value-added services and new products will drive growth in 2004. About 29.5% or $5.6 billion of the Top 75 electronic distributors' sales were derived [...]

For companies within manufacturing and distribution sectors the primary focus over the past few years has been to exploit IT to reduce lead times, control stock levels and increase co-operation […]

Rumbles of a slowdown have been building for months now in the electronics industry. For distributors, the rumblings have suddenly blasted loud and clear through the bullhorn we call bookings. […]