E-commerce burst onto the scene in the consumer space, but as the younger generations that grew up with Amazon have moved into business leadership positions, they have taken those same online expectations into the workplace.
Unfortunately, many online sites are still trying to figure out the business-to-business e-commerce experience.
The results were not much better when the publication asked about pricing transparency. Three-quarters of respondents said manufacturing e-commerce sites didn’t offer pricing, and 81% said it was not easy to make a purchase through a manufacturer’s website.
Businesses embrace e-commerce
The trends in the business-to-consumer marketplace have spilled over to the B2B segment, DHL said, noting that global B2B e-commerce revenue had surpassed $12.2 trillion in 2020 — more than the B2C market — with predictions it would grow to $20.9 trillion by 2027.
“What is predicted for the future of the B2B sector has already been visible in the significant B2C e-commerce rise over the last years, where DHL Express experienced high growth rates particularly during the holiday peak seasons (e.g., Easter, Christmas) and mega-shopping days (e.g., Black Friday, Cyber Monday),” the report said.
Amazon’s B2B focus
In 2015, Amazon formed Amazon Business, a division specifically focused on the differentiated buying journey of large enterprises. The unit now serves more than five million businesses worldwide and facilitates more than $25 billion in worldwide annualized sales, more than half of which come from third-party sellers.
While many business leaders today are looking for similar e-commerce experiences as they get in their personal lives, the idea of an Amazon delivery van pulling up to their loading dock to deliver 1,000 computer monitors is just not feasible. Large enterprises have different demands — such as volume discounts, short- or long-term contracts, or delivery to multiple locations — and Amazon Business meets those needs.
“There are customers that like the direct access — the familiar look and feel from , and many others that prefer our seamless integration into their procurement systems,” Chris Costello, executive vice president of U.S. strategic sales for Amazon Business, told .
Costello noted that Amazon has integration capabilities that allow businesses to connect directly with Amazon’s platform and take advantage of security and control features, as well as guided buying capabilities. The integration enables the business to use the same software it is already using on a daily basis, eliminating costly installation and potential integration problems.
Trend reporting
Amazon Business is able to identify buying trends by location, which can help a large enterprise reduce costs from duplicate buying. Buying based on sustainability goals or from veteran-owned businesses are among the options that enterprises can take advantage of when using Amazon Business.
Amazon is also introducing value-add services for large enterprises, including office supply restocking, snack and vending machine resupply services, and even desk-side capabilities.
The event will feature general sessions, panels, roundtables, product sessions and breakout sessions for attendees.
