During the COVID-19 pandemic, the global business-to-business industry, despite being more resistant to change than retail sales, has increasingly started moving towards E-Commerce.
Between 2019 and 2020, the value of B2B digital sales grew by almost 20%, and in February 2021, E-Commerce accounted for more than half of business-to-business sales globally. Furthermore, in 2021, more than 90% of B2B buyers globally preferred virtual sales interactions, up 17 percentage points from 2020. However, since for many B2B companies moving completely towards digital was rather challenging, omnichannel became the top priority by 2023 for over eight in ten B2B leaders across the globe.
Moreover, compared to pre-COVID-19 period, online chats as a sales channel gained in popularity, while in-person sales models were reduced by more than half. Overall, in 2021, virtual interactions are seen as an effective means of sales by eight in ten B2B sellers across the globe, and in 2020 the share was just over half.
For example, in just one year, the share of B2B companies that make over 90% of their payments electronically rose by twelve percentage points in 2020 compared to pre-pandemic 2019. Furthermore, almost 40% of B2B companies appeared to be highly likely to shift payments into digital in the near future.
Among other industry trends, personalization has become an important term in B2B E-Commerce amid the pandemic. Despite this being the top challenge regarding online sales for global B2B leaders in 2020, personalized content is exactly something to expect from about 80% of B2B companies in 2021.
Moreover, compared to pre-COVID-19 period, online chats as a sales channel gained in popularity, while in-person sales models were reduced by more than half. Overall, in 2021, virtual interactions are seen as an effective means of sales by eight in ten B2B sellers across the globe, and in 2020 the share was just over half.
