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As we look back on a tumultuous 2020, there’s an important takeaway to be learned.
- The coronavirus pandemic will be with us for a long time in the UK
- How we act, where we go, and the way we spend our money has changed
- Digital channels have evolved leaps and bounds and UK businesses must embrace this.
According to research by Statista, the number of eCommerce users is expected to grow by 7% to 61 million users in the UK by 202. This is an alarming figure, particularly for UK businesses with physical shop fronts that are being forced to rethink their digital strategies.
While it’s been a year with incredible challenges, innovations, and success stories, it’s also been a year of B2B eCommerce. The B2B customer is more empowered than ever, and UK B2B sellers now offer personalised customer experiences never before seen in the B2B environment. In the new year, we will see brands rethink their roles in the business world, and how their products are purchased and consumed nationwide.
This is the first post in an ongoing series from OroCommerce UK. We’ll continue to publish news roundups at the end of every quarter, bringing you all things ecommerce, industry trends and market must-haves across the UK.
Our Q4 2020 B2B eCommerce news roundup sheds some light on what’s new in the world of B2B eCommerce, as well as the latest manufacturing, distribution, and supply chain news. Keep reading for this month’s statistics on marketing, customer experience, B2B marketplace news, and success stories.
Digital Adoption and B2B Ecommerce Continues the Upward Trend McKinsey
A worldwide survey highlighted that nearly all decision-makers have moved to digital sales and remote engagement during 2020. The attitude of being “forced” to adapt to digital technology has changed from the early days of the pandemic to the consensus that digital is the future and a top investment priority.
New security laws for the food and beverage industry
The UK Food Standards Agency announced updated regulations in December 2020, meaning it will mandate food wholesalers and distributors brands to report operational and risk management data to improve infrastructure security and resilience. This is designed to ensure critical infrastructure for key suppliers remains visible and secure.
B2B: the key to growth is self-disruption
While the traditional B2B model doesn’t offer manufacturers direct insight into the customer experience, it doesn’t have to be that way. The D2C (direct-to-consumer) and B2B2C (business to business to consumer) model addresses newfound customer demand that emerged out of changing B2B sales models.
Security and monitoring industry in B2B eCommerce
Security and monitoring have seen a good recovery in the first half of 2020. We expect these trends to continue past 2026. Forbes exposure upcoming security considerations for B2B eCommerce.
The three biggest predictions in B2B eCommerce payments in 2021
UK news groups share their predictions and top trends in the B2B payments industry, suggesting that Buy-Now-Pay-Later could account for 10% of all UK eCommerce by 2024.
Brexit poses further disruptions to UK e-commerce businesses
The Drum discusses digital transformation and how UK’s fastest growing online diamond stores are rethinking their digital strategy and fulfilment hubs in the EU.
2020 in review: IndustryWeek’s articles on lean and continuous improvement
IndustryWeek’s slideshow demonstrates the best-performing and most useful articles in 2020. This year in review offers the most actionable insights in lean and continuous improvement for manufacturers and distributors.
What were the top employee health and safety trends in 2020?
The Health and Safety Executive took a look at key figures for Great Britain, exploring work-related illness, working days lost due to work-related illness and the costs of workplace injury.
Distribution news in UK B2B eCommerce with December capacity concerns
Despite the preparations, last-mile delivery can remain challenging especially when customers are setting one-day delivery as the benchmark. The Drum reported that some distribution hubs may become a cause for concern as parcel carriers hit capacity with online surge in shopping activity.
Rise In online shopping pushes FTSE 100-listed firm to buy new distribution infrastructure across europe and UK
Segro, a UK warehouse property group announced they have plans to raise £650m to fund the acquisition of new distribution facilities.The Guardian reported that the firm hopes the move will allow it to tap into the consumer shift to online shopping during the coronavirus lockdown.
Marketing and customer experience in B2B eCommerce list of B2B marketing statistics for manufacturers and industrials
Thomas published a list of B2B marketing statistics of the year and their consequences for manufacturers and industrial businesses. The list is designed to help them leverage online and better meet today’s B2B buyers’ needs.
How B2B marketplace growth will affect B2B marketing in 2021
What will the impact of B2B marketplaces be in 2021? Analytics anticipate COVID-19 will accelerate the growth of B2B marketplaces. Nearly 60% of B2B buyers conduct at least 25% of their business purchasing on a marketplace
Keeping a frictionless customer experience in B2B eCommerce
Pricing in B2B eCommerce is complicated as it is, and pricing strategies must evolve with the B2B buyer. According to Pete Eppele of Zilliant, B2B brands must do more to personalize and remove friction in pricing.
B2B marketplace trends for manufactures with advanced customisation
Product customisation isn’t new, but a businesses ability to provide last-minute personalisation at an affordable cost is. 3D printing is changing manufacturing and fulfilment processes to enable quick customisations towards the end of the product journey.
Distributor launches new portal for uniform manufacturers
Uniform Market, a distributor of uniforms, footwear, and gear, is launching a B2B eCommerce platform to address challenges related to merging their B2B and B2C eCommerce activities.
That’s It for Our Q4 2020 Roundup!
We hope you found this month’s news roundup informative. If you think we missed an interesting story or if you’d like to submit an article, get in touch with us on Facebook and Twitter or in the comments below. Don’t forget to keep checking the OroCommerce blog for more updates.
