The global business-to-business (B2B) ecommerce market is rapidly growing and is projected to reach $62.2 trillion by 2030, according to Capital One Shopping.
Digital commerce is fueling much of this growth, compelling companies in the B2B space to modernize their tech infrastructure, processes, and go-to-market motions to stay competitive.
Five trends are already reshaping the B2B landscape. From AI-driven selling and automation to business-to-consumer (B2C)-style expectations in B2B transactions, here’s what your company needs to know.
B2B manufacturers and distributors have traditionally sold offline, using printed catalogs and phone calls with buyers to facilitate transactions.
But more B2B companies are now embracing digital to accelerate their sales cycle. Research from DigitalCommerce360 shows that in 2024, in-person sales generated just 17% of revenue for B2B companies, a 22% decline from two years before.
Last year, B2B sales in the U.S. rose just under a half percent, but B2B ecommerce sales grew 13% — or 26 times more than the overall market, according to DigitalCommerce360.
This signals ecommerce is a powerful growth lever for B2B companies, providing the scale and reach necessary to serve customers more effectively and capture new revenue opportunities.
AI is steadily becoming vital to B2B marketing and sales operations. It allows companies to automate their workflow, personalize the buyer experience, and make better sense of customer and operational data.
Up to 40% of enterprise applications will include AI agents by 2026, Gartner estimates, so automation is now table stakes for every B2B company. Teams are already benefiting from integrating AI tools:
80% of companies say they currently use AI for at least one business function, according to McKinsey & Company.
About 66% of B2B revenue teams report seeing a return on investment (ROI) within the first year of adopting AI tools, according to ITPro.
AI can optimize nearly every aspect of the sales process and buyer journey, from generating proposals and request for proposal (RFP) responses to delivering automated product recommendations and supporting dynamic pricing and forecasting.
The technology is transforming how B2B companies go to market and engage buyers at every stage of the funnel. AI is a force multiplier that can give B2B companies more leverage — as long as they govern it properly and thoughtfully execute it in ways that deliver value, and not add friction, for B2B customers.
Self-service now drives a significant portion of B2B online sales, accounting for 34% of revenue, according to McKinsey & Company research, along with remote online connections between sales reps and buyers.
Customers, especially those with big-ticket orders over $500,000, are more comfortable with self-service, the same McKinsey report found.
Additionally, Gartner reports that 61% of B2B buyers now prefer a rep-free buying experience, saying they’re frustrated with irrelevant outreach from sales teams.
However, there’s nuance within the data. Buyers don’t want a high-touch experience at the beginning of their journey, especially when they just need general information. They prefer more personalized, contextual interactions once they get closer to a buying decision, leaning on sales reps when they need to compare products and determine whether a specific solution or service is the best fit for their company.
B2B companies need to use their self-service channels strategically, recognizing that buyers will need a more guided experience as they get closer to the bottom of the funnel.
Omnichannel and hybrid sales are a related trend.
B2B buyers use an average of 10 channels as they go through their journey, according to McKinsey & Company. They now want to switch between them seamlessly as part of their decision-making process.
Similar to how B2B buyers want human support at certain points in the sales process, different models are emerging that cater to customers’ digital preferences and need for personalized, relationship-based selling.
This hybrid model comes in different forms:
Digital product research + human sales consultation
Self-service purchasing + account manager support
AI chatbots + sales engineers
Unified data and connected systems will be vital to drive these experiences and other human-AI interactions in the B2B selling space.
Building an effective B2B tech stack, or refining their existing infrastructure, should be step one for B2B companies that are serious about bridging the gap between the catalog-based, old ways of selling and modern, digital-led approaches.
Call it the “Amazon Effect.”
Like their B2C counterparts, B2B buyers have become accustomed to seamless, personalized experiences. Their B2C-like expectations involve things like instant pricing, tailored recommendations, mobile-friendly buying, customer reviews, and faster checkout.
Today, Shopify reports that 83% of B2B decision-makers are willing to make online transactions of at least $10 million — a powerful and clear indicator of the sea change happening in B2B.
More B2B customers are comfortable making big buying decisions on digital channels. This is where optimized self-service channels, omnichannel strategies, and empowering sales teams with AI tools will give B2B companies a strategic advantage.
Digital is now integral to the B2B buying journey. Companies that embrace this — and meet buyers’ expectations for seamless, convenient, yet relationship-driven experiences — will future-proof their business.