How B2B buyers and sellers do business in the United States is at a crossroads. In an era of digital transformation, more corporate buyers want an easier, faster and more personal experience to purchase goods and services online.

And slowly but steadily, U.S. distributors are growing ecommerce. According to the 2019 B2B Distributor 300, a just-released research report from Digital Commerce 360, that transformation is picking up speed. Last year, U.S. distributors grew sales from their websites and the online marketplaces they participate in by 11% to $712.8 billion, expanding the online segment of the B2B distribution market to 12% of total sales, up from 10.9% a year earlier.

The 300 distributors studied in the report are a representative sampling of large, mid-sized and smaller businesses grouped in six key B2B markets, which allows readers to identify the ecommerce leaders and followers in like distribution markets and to measure how ecommerce market penetration varies from one industry to the next.

The 92-page 2019 B2B Distributors 300 shows clearly the chasm that exists between the ecommerce leaders and followers. Two-thirds of distributors have a public ecommerce site, a log-in portal, or both. But nearly 80% of distributors have web-based sales that only make up no more than 25% of total revenue.

Comparative data across 13 industry categories

The 2019 B2B Distributor 300 report contains the most comprehensive data and analysis to date on ecommerce performance of U.S. B2B distributors, including:

• The online percentage of total sales of each of 300 representative B2B distributors.
• The B2B ecommerce leaders and followers in 13 industry categories, including automotive, electrical and electronics, food and beverage, office supplies, janitorial/sanitation supplies, medical/dental, and MRO/Industrial.
• A detailed overview of B2B ecommerce development in U.S. distribution, including a dozen charts detailing key trends.
• Case studies showing best practices of top ecommerce performers in distribution and wholesale, including Tech Data, W.W. Grainger, MCS Industrial Supply, Cardinal Health and others.

The 2019 B2B Distributor 300 Report can be downloaded as a PDF now for just $299 or purchased as part of our Digital Commerce 360 Gold Membership, which provides deep discounts when all 30 ecommerce research reports are purchased as a package.