Distribution Strategy Group

After months of back and forth,?QXO has agreed to acquire?Beacon Building Products for about $11 billion.? Beacon is a distributor of roofing, waterproofing and exterior products, with nearly 600 branches across the U.S. and Canada. The acquisition is a key milestone in QXO's plan to build a platform in the $800 billion building products distribution industry. We're told that a “massive wall of money” was waiting for an operating asset at QXO like Beacon. Expect more deals as QXO looks to grow to $50 billion in annual revenue. Read more on our site: https://lnkd.in/gJQZQP97

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that QXO will announce tomorrow that it has reached a deal to acquire Beacon Roofing.

?? If you’ve attended one Applied AI for Distributors, you’ve attended one Applied AI for Distributors. ?? Our all-new speaker lineup builds on past events to give you a fresh take on what you need to know today about AI and its impact on your business. Here’s a sneak peek: ?? Sonepar SVP Don Sarno, who will share how the electrical distributor put AI into action ?? Trent Gillespie, formerly of Amazon, who will deliver practical steps for AI-driven growth and innovation ?? Renowned AI strategist Noelle R. Russell, who will share real-life case studies and practical frameworks to harness AI ethically and profitably You’ll also get front-row seats to the tech solutions available now to leverage AI in your organization. Save your spot and you’ll also be invited to an exclusive pre-show strategy session on the first day. View the agenda: https://lnkd.in/gmnYMDrm Register your team now: https://lnkd.in/g6M6smZw

Join us for a conversation March 26 at 9 PT/12 ET with Don Sarno, Senior Vice President of Digital Enterprise Americas at Sonepar. He will share insights ahead of his session at the Applied AI for Distributors Conference in June. Don will explore the transformative role of AI in distribution, how Sonepar is leveraging AI to drive digital innovation, and what the future holds for AI-powered supply chain and customer experience strategies. Attendees will get a sneak peek into the key themes from his upcoming presentation at the AI conference. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from one of the industry’s leading voices on AI and digital transformation. Register now: https://lnkd.in/eTb63P7P Can’t make it? Register anyway and you’ll get a link after to watch on-demand. Thank you to our sponsors: Epicor and Net at Work

How is the world's largest electrical distributor using AI to improve customer experience? Tune in on March 26 when we talk to Don Sarno from Sonepar USA for an in-depth discussion on this topic. Can't make it? Sign up for the recording.

A single SKU can take four weeks to be market-ready, according to McKinsey & Company. Multiply that across your entire offering and the inefficiencies balloon. How can distributors speed up the process with more accurate and complete product data? AI-powered product ingestion solutions can: ?? Ingest data in any format using multiple channels ?? Automatically categorize and align that data with your company’s taxonomy ?? Instantly detect missing or non-compliant data and notify data teams and suppliers about missing corrections ?? Enhance product descriptions, suggest missing attributes and automate tasks like translations Marc Teulières has more on our website: https://lnkd.in/gmXqmDa2

Renowned AI strategist Noelle R. Russell will share real-life case studies and practical frameworks to harness AI’s potential ethically and profitably at Applied AI for Distributors, June 24-26 in Chicago. This session will offer distributors the tools to build an ethical AI culture, mitigate risks and unlock true value, making it an ideal starting point for responsible innovation. She recently shared a preview of her session with Ian Heller. ?? Learn more or register now for Applied AI for Distributors: https://lnkd.in/ghdQ2tjM

Join us for a webinar, “Measuring What Matters: Customer Satisfaction and Market Demand Analytics,” on March 19 at 9 PT / 12 ET. This webinar will equip you with the knowledge to effectively use analytics tools, leading to improved performance and strategic advantages. Join us to learn: ? How to interpret complex data sets to make strategic decisions that positively impact your organization ? How leading distributors are using integrated analytics for greater impact ? How to identify spending gaps, measure customer potential and implement targeted strategies that increase your share of customer spend across product categories Register now: https://lnkd.in/gtJQzsTH

With potential productivity boosts of up to 200%, distributors face a decision: Adapt GenAI or fall behind. Yet, many leaders are stuck navigating a sea of hype without actionable guidance on effectively integrating AI. Trent Gillespie will be cutting through the hype in his presentation at the 2025 Applied AI for Distributors event June 24-26 in Chicago. He shares a preview of his session with Ian Heller below. After you watch, check out the rest of the agenda here: https://lnkd.in/ga5y9cB3

?? Now Available: The 2025 State of AI in Distribution Get the latest report from Distribution Strategy Group by Jonathan Bein Ph.D. We looked at where distributors are in their AI journeys and their plans for the next three to five years. We found that: ??Distributors overwhelmingly see AI as important, and it’s actively being deployed. ??Usage is rapidly increasing, especially in marketing and website applications. ??Efficiency is currently a key driver of AI investment for distributors. ??Generative AI is already embedded in the daily work of nearly three-quarters of distributors’ teams. ??AI will reshape the workforce in the distribution industry, reducing headcount by as much as a third or more over the next five years as staff move from repetitive tasks to higher-value roles. Get your copy now: https://lnkd.in/gR46HqQt Thank you to our sponsors: Endeavor AI and Infor