"B2B-Marktmonitor" provides exclusive insights into B2B e-commerce in Germany

• Study provides overview of e-commerce revenues, companies and trends in B2B e-commerce 2023
• Wholesalers and manufacturers dominate the market and record significant revenue increases
• Marketplaces are clear growth drivers in B2B e-commerce

Jena / Cologne, Germany, September 18, 2023 - Due to increasing customer demands, the advancing digitalization of commerce and the changed requirements in the wake of the corona pandemic, the framework conditions for B2B commerce have changed in recent years. Digital sales channels and the realization of B2C-like shopping experiences have become indispensable for manufacturers and wholesalers. For this reason, ECC Köln, together with Intershop and Creditreform, is highlighting the trends and developments in B2B e-commerce in Germany as part of the “B2B-Marktmonitor 2023.”

The study clarifies that B2B e-commerce is experiencing sustained growth and is steadily gaining in importance, especially for manufacturers and wholesalers. In 2022, the total B2B e-commerce market of all the sectors considered, including electronic data interchange (EDI), reached a volume of almost EUR 1.7 trillion euros in Germany. This means that around a quarter of the total B2B commerce revenue was realized via online channels.

After Corona-related revenue losses, total revenue by manufacturers and in particular wholesalers have been rising again since 2021, and e-commerce revenues (incl. EDI) are growing steadily with a record value of EUR 1.3 billion in 2022. EUR 427 billion of this is accounted for by e-commerce via online shops and marketplaces (excl. EDI), which is recording the strongest growth momentum with an increase of 21.2 percent compared with the previous year. The main drivers of this development are B2B marketplaces, which now account for one in four euros of revenue. The opportunity to tap new sources of revenue and increase revenues via a marketplace is leading more and more B2B companies to set up their own online platform. Just over a third of respondents (35%) say they already operate their own marketplace and almost half (48%) are in the planning phase.

"In recent years, the digital landscape in Germany has developed rapidly, and B2B marketplaces are no exception. These platforms, which enable business-to-business transactions, have gained considerable importance in Germany. The dynamic growth of these marketplaces reflects the general trend toward digitization and the growing need for efficient, digital business models," says Michael Mertens, Senior B2B Commerce Expert at ECC Köln.

Numerous Intershop customers worldwide use the Intershop Commerce Platform and the in-house Order Management System (OMS) for seamless integration into all relevant online marketplaces or build their own marketplace based on Intershop. The OMS acts as a central hub for all customer information, orders and inventory. Peter Dietrich, VP Sales DACH at Intershop, comments: "Perfectly coordinated fulfillment processes are the be-all and end-all in omnichannel commerce. Intershop Order Management takes all the challenges out of order management and fulfillment for our customers and enables them to create a consistent, convenient shopping experience for their customers."

You get a free copy of the "B2B-Marktmonitor" here (German).

 

About the study:

As part of the “B2B Marktminitor”, ECC Köln, together with Creditreform and Intershop, highlights the development of B2B e-commerce revenues and B2B companies as well as current and future trends in B2B commerce in Germany. More in-depth information on other sub-sectors can be compiled on request. For this purpose, various sources were used and checked for plausibility with each other. The most important data sources are surveys of the Federal Statistical Office, survey results from IFH KÖLN and ECC KÖLN, diverse press, company and association information as well as our own online screening of several hundred companies.

The thesis paper will also be presented as part of the ECC WEB TALKS. On September 28, 2023 at 14:00, Viktoria Grimm, Christian Kramer from Creditreform and Peter Dietrich from Intershop will provide insights into the study results. Register now free of charge for the ECC WEB TALK "Future of B2B e-commerce: The latest revenues, developments and trends in 2023."

 

About ECC KÖLN:

Since 1999, ECC KÖLN has been a driving force in e-commerce as a subsidiary brand of the renowned IFH KÖLN (Institute for Retail Research). Our goal is to offer retailers, manufacturers and solution providers a unique and exclusive knowledge, consulting and networking platform to make them fit for the future of commerce. With our ECC CLUB network, we have created an inspiring and strongly networked community from all retail sectors. Our strategy professionals around ECC NEXT strategically accompany companies into the digital future.  

More at: www.ecckoeln.de.

 

About Creditreform:

Creditreform enables companies to build valuable and secure business relationships. With many years of experience and the latest technologies, they create innovative solutions for tomorrow’s markets. Based on economic data, they assess current business risks, identify market potential and realize outstanding receivables. In this way, they help customers and partners worldwide to make reliable business decisions.

https://www.creditreform.de/