New eCommerce technologies are making it simpler for B2B firms to enter the B2C market and vice versa for previously B2B eCommerce companies to engage in direct-to-consumer sales (B2B2C).
You are a B2B company that falls under one of the following categories. Each type of entity has its own benefits and restrictions, and some companies may fall under more than one category at once.
Manufacturers
The use of parts and raw materials, along with physical labor and equipment, is used by manufacturers to make completed things on a big scale. The final products are offered for sale to additional manufacturers, suppliers, or distributors under a B2B model.
The automotive sector is a prime illustration of a manufacturer in a B2B environment. The manufacturer makes individual auto parts like the engine and fuel pump. Following the sale of the parts by the manufacturer, the automobile company assembles the whole car from the parts and sells it to the customer.
The same way distributors conduct business online, manufacturers also do so. The State of International Ecommerce Report found that more than a third of manufacturers expected B2B eCommerce revenues to increase by at least 25% in 2021 and 2022.
Distributors
There are two alternatives for what happens next after a product leaves the hands of the manufacturer: If the manufacturer would prefer to have more control over the selling aspect of their business, they can sell directly to the end user. However, this still places tasks in their hands such as order management, packing, and marketing.
To sell their products on their behalf, a producer can work with a distributor. In this instance, the distributor works closely with the producer in an effort to boost sales and transfer the product farther down the supply chain by increasing consumer knowledge of the goods they are producing.