Industry Outlook Archives

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Product Data is More Than Back Office and Websites

David Gordon Posted On August 27, 2026

Using Product Data to Inform and Sell - IDEA

Back almost 30 years ago when the original 20 distributors and 20 manufacturers came together to form IDEA, the goal was to reduce operating costs, which was defined as reducing errors in data when it was communicated between the two […]

Industry Consolidation / Industry Outlook / Supplier / Products

nVent’s 2H 2026 Results Driven by … Data Centers

Kevin Coleman Posted On August 27, 2026

nVent announced their results for 2Q 2026 on July 31. They reported record quarterly sales of $1.5 billion, up 53%, and 47% organically, and adjusted operating income was $323 million, up 61%, riding a historic data‑center boom while simultaneously navigating […]

Customer Segments / Industry Outlook / Manufacturers / Supplier / Products

Eaton Delivers Again – A North‑American Powerhouse Fueled by the Data‑Center Supercycle

Kevin Coleman Posted On August 26, 2026

Eaton announced its 2Q 2026 earnings on July 31. Their results confirm the structural shift in the U.S. electrical market that previous earnings results have benefitted from – AI‑scale data centers, utility grid upgrades, and industrial electrification have turned Electrical […]

Industry Outlook / Manufacturers / Supplier / Products

Schneider’s Surge – Record YTD 2026 Results Could Signal a New Era for Electrification and Distribution

Kevin Coleman Posted On August 23, 2026

Schneider Electric Q2 2026 earnings - ElectricalTrends

Schneider Electric announced its Q2 2026 results on July 30 delivering one of the strongest quarters in its history, underscoring the company’s rising influence across electrification, automation, and digital energy management. With demand surging in data centers, grid modernization, and […]

Growth Strategies / Industrial Market / Industry Consolidation / Industry Outlook / Manufacturers / Supplier / Products

The Data-Center Supercycle Powers Legrand’s Breakout First Half of 2026

Kevin Coleman Posted On August 12, 2026

Legrand 2026 Q2 Earnings - ElectricalTrends

Legrand, the French conglomerate known for wiring devices, lighting controls, Wiremold and its lighting lines in the electrical distribution segment, who has also built a robust data center offering, announced 1H 2026 earnings on July 29. Legrand’s record first‑half 2026 […]

eCommerce / Featured / Industry Outlook / Technology

How Agentic AI Could Change How Contractors Buy Electrical Products

David Gordon Posted On July 29, 2026

Agentic AI Will Change Contractor Buying Process - ElectricalTrends

Amidst the conversation about AI and data centers, both of which distributors can benefit from, there is another conversation that, as typical, starts on the consumer side and then migrates to B2B. This is how AI is / may change […]

Industry Outlook / Lighting / More Insights / Pricing

Tariffs on Canadian Lighting. Will it Impact Distributors?

David Gordon Posted On July 24, 2026

On Wednesday the US announced increased tariffs, up to 50% on a variety of goods from Canada and the lighting industry was impacted. The tariffs are expected to be effective August 20th. Linda Longo, editor of ElectricalTrends’ sister publication US […]

Growth Strategies / Industry Outlook / Research Reports

Without Data Centers, Is There a Construction Recession?

David Gordon Posted On July 19, 2026

Without Data Centers - Is There A Construction Recession - Electricaltrends

Recently I saw two news stories that got me wondering. The first was New York State’s moratorium on data center construction. The second was a county here in North Carolina that also implemented a moratorium, and the newscast went on […]

Customer Segments / Industry Outlook / More Insights / Supplier / Products

Data Centers and Transformers

David Gordon Posted On May 27, 2026

Data Center Market Solid State Transformers Channel Marketing Group ElectricalTrends

The data center market seemingly changes on a daily basis. There are new data center construction announcements. The hyperscalers announce new partnerships. There is new technology designed to support the latest platforms and unleash more capabilities. And there is a […]

Customer Segments / Distributors / eBusiness / Industry Outlook / More Insights / Pricing

Rexel’s US Group Continues to Be Corporate Growth Engine

Kevin Coleman Posted On April 27, 2026

Rexel’s North American group was again the star performer for the company according to their 2026 Q1 earnings call. While the overall business was up only 3.4%, and all regions showed positive growth for the first time in 11 quarters, […]