How B2B Buyer Expectations Are Reshaping eCommerce in 2025

The industrial supply sector has changed dramatically, and BigCommerce’s latest 2025 Industrial Buyer Report: How Digital Expectations Are Shaping B2B eCommerce proves just how much. The research reveals something that many of us in the industry have suspected for a while: buyers have embraced digital channels completely, and there’s no going back.

We’ve been working with B2B businesses through this transformation for years now, helping them build better BigCommerce experiences. The data from this report is fascinating — and frankly, a bit of a wake-up call for anyone still on the fence about digital investment.

The Numbers Tell a Story

Here’s what caught our attention: 62% of buyers now purchase electrical, HVAC, or industrial supplies online. That’s not just growth — it’s a seven-fold increase since 2018. Think about that for a moment.

Some other findings that stood out:

• Digital orders now represent 30% of all purchases
• Nearly two-thirds of buyers (65%) say online ordering is simply easier and faster
• Mobile ordering has become the norm, with buyers placing orders from job sites, their vans, or wherever they happen to be
• Perhaps most telling: almost 70% see Amazon Business as a genuine alternative to traditional distributors

What buyers want isn’t complicated — they expect personalised pricing, real-time stock information, websites that actually work on their phones, and quick delivery. Miss the mark on any of these, and they’ll find someone who doesn’t.

Want to read the full report? Click here.

Why Traditional Distributors Are Struggling (And Why Quick Fixes Don’t Work)

Most B2B buyers now expect the same smooth experience they get from Amazon or any decent consumer website. Yet many distributor sites feel like they’re stuck in 2015. The BigCommerce research highlights some common pain points: poor mobile experiences, inventory systems that don’t talk to the website, and frankly, content that doesn’t help buyers make decisions.

Here’s the bit that should worry established distributors: only 18% of buyers say they don’t purchase online at all. That means 82% are already shopping digitally — and they’re comparing your site to everyone else’s.

Digital Has Become the Default Option

The shift is remarkable: digital channels have grown by 702% since 2018, now accounting for nearly a third of all purchases. This isn’t buyers “trying out” online ordering anymore — it’s simply how business gets done. When the digital experience falls short, they don’t persevere; they go elsewhere.

For any distributor serious about staying competitive, your eCommerce platform needs to work properly. That means it loads quickly, handles complex pricing structures, and connects seamlessly with your existing systems. We’ve seen too many businesses try to bolt on digital capabilities as an afterthought — it rarely ends well.

At DeeperThanBlue, we specialise in BigCommerce implementation and integration, ensuring your digital storefront is not only robust but seamlessly connected to your ERP and backend systems.

The Consumer Experience Benchmark

Industrial buyers aren’t checking their expectations at the door when they visit B2B sites. They want the same intuitive navigation, personalised pricing, and real-time information they’re used to elsewhere. The research shows that 65.8% find online purchasing straightforward, and 60% say it saves them time — but that’s only when the experience actually works.

The challenge we often see is that businesses underestimate what “working properly” means in 2025. Mobile optimisation isn’t optional anymore, and neither is having accurate inventory data or sensible search functionality. Our B2B-specific commerce strategy and UX design services focus on creating frictionless, mobile-optimised experiences tailored to the unique needs of industrial buyers—whether they’re ordering from the office, a job site, or their vehicle.

Beyond Just Taking Orders

Buyers aren’t just using distributor websites to place orders. They’re checking prices (67% do this), researching products (51%), and confirming stock availability (49%). Yet many sites treat these as secondary functions, focusing primarily on the transaction itself.

This is where we see huge opportunities. A well-designed B2B site can handle complex workflows — things like spec uploads, detailed quoting processes, and account-specific pricing — while still feeling as straightforward as shopping for books online. The technology exists; it’s about implementing it thoughtfully.

We deliver custom functionality and headless commerce solutions that enhance product discovery, support complex workflows (like quoting and spec uploads), and ensure your site mirrors the capabilities of a knowledgeable sales rep—at scale.

The Multi-Channel Reality

82% of buyers use some form of electronic ordering, but that doesn’t just mean websites. They’re using apps, text ordering systems, eProcurement platforms, and various other digital touchpoints. Flexibility isn’t nice-to-have anymore; it’s essential.

We’ve found that the most successful B2B businesses think in terms of connected experiences rather than individual channels. Whether someone’s ordering from their office computer, a mobile app on-site, or through a punchout catalogue, the experience should feel consistent and reliable.

DeeperThanBlue helps you build a composable commerce architecture that supports omnichannel engagement ensuring your buyers can order anytime, anywhere.

The Amazon Challenge

Perhaps the most sobering finding: 66% of buyers consider platforms like Amazon Business, Grainger, and Home Depot viable suppliers for most of their needs. These aren’t niche players anymore; they’re direct competitors with massive resources and proven digital capabilities.

The good news? Traditional distributors still have significant advantages — relationships, specialist knowledge, custom solutions. The challenge is bringing those advantages into the digital experience rather than treating online and offline as separate businesses.

The Visibility Problem

Here’s something that surprised us: despite heavy technology investments, many distributors do a poor job of promoting their digital capabilities. The research shows 52.2% of buyers discover ordering sites through Google, yet many distributor sites aren’t optimised for search.

You can build the best B2B eCommerce experience in the world, but if your customers don’t know it exists — or can’t find it when they’re looking — you’ve wasted your money.

Making the Digital Transition Feel Natural

Not every buyer is fully digital yet, and that’s fine. The research shows that those who prefer traditional channels often do so out of habit or because they need support with complex orders. But this creates an opportunity rather than a problem.

The best digital experiences we’ve seen don’t try to replace human expertise — they enhance it. With the right tools and workflows, even highly bespoke or project-based orders can move online while still feeling personal and supported. It’s about replicating the trust and service quality of a great sales relationship, just in a more efficient format.

What This All Means

The BigCommerce report doesn’t just highlight changing buyer behaviour — it shows that the rules of B2B commerce have fundamentally shifted. Distributors who ignore this risk becoming irrelevant. Those who embrace it properly, though, have a genuine opportunity to build stronger customer relationships, streamline their operations, and grow their market share.

This isn’t about following the latest digital trend. It’s about recognising that your customers have already changed how they want to do business with you. The question isn’t whether to invest in digital capabilities — it’s whether you’re going to do it well enough to matter.

We’ve been helping businesses navigate this transition for years now, and the companies that succeed are those that treat digital transformation as a strategic priority rather than a technical project. It requires the right technology, certainly, but it also requires understanding your customers, designing for their actual workflows, and committing to ongoing improvement.

At DeeperThanBlue, we’re more than a technology partner—we’re your strategic ally in digital transformation. Whether you’re launching a new BigCommerce site or optimising an existing one, we bring the expertise, tools, and vision to help you succeed in a digital-first world.

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