The B2B e-commerce market is big. In the U.S. it’s more than twice the size of online retail, in fact, and it’s poised to top $1.1 trillion in the next five years, according to forecasts by Forrester Research Inc.
For the first time ever, the news team behind Internet Retailer magazine, the B2BecNews newsletter and B2BeCommerceWorld.com has ranked the leading online sellers to businesses, government, universities and other large organizations. 2016 B2B E-Commerce 300, released today, ranks the 300 largest manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers by their annual e-commerce sales to businesses and other organizations.
Those 300 companies, including such industry giants as Boeing Corp., Nike Inc., Exxon Mobil Corp. and Grainger Inc., make up around 70% of the total B2B e-commerce market in the United States, which Forrester predicts will reach $780 billion in web sales this year.
Collectively, the B2B E-Commerce 300 will transact $547.11 billion in sales via the web this year—up 13.3% from $482.79 billion in 2014. And, depending on a company’s size and industry, many will do so in multiple—and often, very complicated ways.
Included in that $547.11 billion, for example, are fairly straightforward transactions via a company’s e-commerce site—such as Grainger.com or StaplesAdvantage.com. The largest manufacturers also may sell online in several other ways: via web-connected procurement software linked directly to a customer’s financial reporting system, through a commercial vertical market network such as the one operated by Ariba Inc., over industry web exchanges such as Covisint for vehicle makers and Exostar for defense and aerospace manufacturers, and through online marketplace sites operated by eBay Inc., Amazon.com Inc., Alibaba Group and others.
Internet Retailer and B2BeCommerceWorld’s definition of B2B e-commerce does not include transactions via electronic data interchange, or EDI, a pre-Internet technology still widely used that allows businesses to exchange documents, such as purchase orders and invoices, electronically.
The B2B E-Commerce 300, available in print, digital and database formats includes the following:
- Rankings of the 300 largest B2B e-commerce practitioners based on their 2015 online sales
- Detailed company profiles that describe each of the 300 B2B e-commerce leaders’ online growth tactics
- Key financial and operational metrics on each of the 300 ranked companies, including 2014 and 2015 B2B e-commerce sales and website traffic figures
- Features and functions of each B2B e-commerce site, including bulk pricing, customer log-in access and customer reviews
- Comprehensive charts and tables that break down ranked companies by 18 industry categories, from aerospace to pharmaceuticals and sporting goods
- Technology and services suppliers used by the leading online B2B players in 14 e-commerce technology categories, including content management, e-commerce platform technology and payments processing
- The names and corporate contact information of 462 executives who manage America’s 300 largest B2B e-commerce companies.
How to order your copy:
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