International delivery business UPS has conducted a study into the way that businesses buy their goods from distributors. The UPS Industrial Buying Dynamics Study found that many manufacturers are selling direct to clients and bypassing traditional distributors.
719 purchasing professionals in the UK, France, Germany and Italy discovered that 65% of buyers are going through Direct from Manufacturer (DfM) where a further 30% are seriously considering this approach.
Over half of European industrial supplier buyers are sourcing or buying online, while 42% are spending over half their budget in this way. If a manufacturer has a good website with easier selling methods, as well as the ability to install and maintain their products on site, the buyer may well consider going direct to them as opposed to through traditional channels. 75% of buyers would choose a distributor with a better website that is easier to use.
B2B e-commerce is a growth sector and seems to be having as much of an impact on B2B sales as the internet shopping boom has had on the B2C market.