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Surcharges and price increases that were never meant to be permanent may still be sitting in distributors’ price books. It may be time to revisit what still holds up — and what doesn’t.
October 6, 2026
Giving commercial teams more pricing authority doesn’t have to mean losing control. This piece explains how distributors can use pricing guardrails, centralized visibility and deterministic controls to balance local market flexibility with financial discipline —...
The first two articles in this series looked at the cost-to-price lag — in isolation. As explained here in the conclusion, the full picture is bigger: a single vendor cost increase actually triggers three separate...
Recent NAW survey results and independent case studies show that understanding the days-long gap between supplier cost increases and pricing response can help distributors feel more confident in protecting margins. The second in this three-part...
New NAW survey data show that sub-$100M distributors respond to cost pressure with a single blunt instrument, even as that pressure arrives through at least three different channels at once.
The 1Q26 Baird-MDM Industrial Distribution survey shows pricing power holding steady, but commentary reflects a more divided market shaped by competition, costs and customer behavior. We analyze the data here.
Vendor costs are shifting weekly, but most distributors are still updating them manually — and bleeding margin with every delay. With a racing analogy throughout, this piece argues that manual cost updates are no longer...
Special pricing agreements are a major margin lever for distributors — yet many leave money unclaimed due to data mismatches, rising complexity and reactive processes. The third and final article in this series outlines common...
Many distributors believe they collect 100% of the special pricing agreement profit margin they claim. The real question is different: Are you claiming everything you’re entitled to? The second of this three-part deep dive series...
For many distributors, Special Pricing Agreement management has become an administrative burden to survive, not something to optimize. The first of this three-part article series explores how SPAs represent hidden margin for distributors and a...
As inflation cools, many CEOs are easing off pricing discipline — a costly mistake. This article explores how “pricing anxiety” paralyzes even top performers; why most pricing transformations fail; and what decisive actions leaders must...
How many times has your team discussed “fixing our contract pricing process” without defining what systematic contract governance actually looks like? The second of this two-part series covers what the renovation process for contract pricing...
Your contract pricing structure may hide significant costs. It might be time to redo yours. Anyone who’s done a home renovation knows it takes forever. Updating your contracts pricing is kind of like that, but...
