The rise of internet technology, consolidation from the retail side to the supplier side, and the challenge of generating growth from a stagnant pool of retail customers are among the primary concerns of wholesalers and distributors today. 

As many retailers have moved toward total outsourcing of their inventory to their wholesalers to create fewer all-encompassing sources of supply, many wholesalers have begun a forward integration into retail by acquisition.  These shifts in the supply chain have created greater requirements around just-in-time product and information flow for wholesale and distribution companies. They have also created opportunities for new areas of growth in the wholesale and distribution industry.