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The Future of B2B Commerce in 2030
4 minutes

The Future of B2B Commerce in 2030

Discover what's in store for online purchasing.

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Note: This article was last updated September 2025. 

 

Key Takeaways

  • B2B ecommerce is becoming smarter, more connected, and more expansive. B2B organizations need to adapt their digital channels accordingly if they want to stay competitive and gain a competitive advantage.

  • To deliver B2C-like digital commerce experiences, B2B organizations can use a digital experience platform (DXP) to build commerce sites that not only deliver excellent customer experiences and meet evolving buyer expectations, but also meet the organization’s complex B2B needs.

Technology has already radically shifted B2B commerce experiences into ones buyer expect to be more personalized and easy to access. More than 2/3 of today’s B2B buyers are Millennials or Gen Z, and they’re bringing their B2C digital commerce customer expectations into their professional lives.

Emerging trends like AI-driven analytics, blockchain-based supply chains, and hyper-personalized buyer journeys will all be critical in helping B2B organizations shape their ecommerce strategy to be more personal, efficient, and successful.

By 2030 and beyond, businesses will likely navigate a fully-digitized ecosystem where predictive analytics, autonomous processes, and augmented reality-enhanced decision-making become integral to the B2B digital commerce landscape.

So, looking ahead, what can you expect from B2B Commerce?

B2B Commerce Will Be Smarter with Artificial Intelligence

 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) will continue to be a hot topic, especially in B2B commerce. According to Gartner, the number of businesses adopting AI has grown by 270% in the past four years.

By harnessing the power of predictive analytics and machine learning, businesses can gain deeper insights into customer behavior, optimize inventory management, and make smarter decisions across their supply chains. AI-powered virtual assistants are revolutionizing customer support, offering instant, personalized responses that improve the overall customer experience. Additionally, AI enables businesses to automate routine tasks, forecast demand more accurately, and identify new opportunities for growth. As these technologies continue to advance, B2B commerce will become even more efficient, responsive, and tailored to the unique needs of each customer.

  • AI can improve inventory accuracy by up to 95%. Companies worldwide lose $300 billion in annual revenue because of poor inventory management. 

  • 79% of marketers stated that integrating AI into marketing and sales has increased business revenue.

Using AI will extend far beyond operational and performance improvements. AI can help B2B companies better understand and serve their customers by: 

  • Generating content and experiences tailored to individual customers. With generative AI (GenAI) and machine learning (ML) models, businesses can present personalized product recommendations, offers, and content that are more likely to drive conversions. Integrating customer data enables even more personalized interactions and recommendations.

  • AI powered search and other tools like filters and chatbots enhance product discoverability and product discovery for B2B buyers, making it easier to find and select products across multiple channels.

  • Enhancing privacy and security by identifying the possibility of fraud and detecting suspicious purchases quickly.

  • Forecasting customer demand with predictive analytics to help optimize inventory levels and minimize excess. A well-designed ecommerce site can real-time inventory management with integration to back-office systems, particularly ERP platforms. Accurate product data is crucial for improving product discovery and delivering personalized experiences across channels. Optimizing fulfillment costs and supply chain management not only streamlines logistics but also helps attract more buyers and supports business growth.

  • Implementing dynamic pricing to offer custom pricing and maximize revenue based on real-time market conditions, customer behavior, competitor pricing, and inventory levels.

  • Enabling new business models, such as voice commerce, social commerce, and experiential commerce to provide customers with more seamless purchasing experiences.

Want to learn how to achieve AI success? Read this blog to learn how to implement AI effectively.

 

B2B Commerce Will Be More Connected for Better Customer Experiences

The line between physical and digital channels will become more and more blurred. In fact, the hybrid of the digital and physical is now called “phygital.” Although this buzzword is more common for B2C retail spaces, it will become increasingly important in the B2B space as well. 

Even though B2B commerce involves more touchpoints and more complexity than B2C purchasing, B2B customers still expect B2C-like experiences. 

For this reason, “phygital” commerce will become important to help bridge the gap between B2B and B2C commerce experiences. 

What can phygital look like for B2B? Let’s say your business is going to a trade show or exhibition: 

  • Set up VR or AR booths for more interactive demos and hands-on experience. For instance, a sales rep can use AR to showcase a digital twin of specific machinery that the booth visitor may be interested in, allowing them to interact with a 3D model and become more informed. These product demos serve as powerful social proof and enable buyers to evaluate solutions without needing a sales rep, streamlining their decision-making process.

  • Add virtual assistants to your booths to guide attendees, giving them personalized pitches and information to give buyers a self-service options that mirrors the seamless digital experiences they expect.

  • Allow visitors to see your catalog on a tablet or screen and select products that they’re interested in. Phygital is essential critical for B2B sales teams. Using this information, your sales rep can follow up with more personalized demos and content, helping attendees feel like your company understands their needs. The sales rep can also pull up a customers’ real-time ordering history, a personalized catalog, and can place orders directly in a tablet. This reduces back-and-forth communication and shortens sales cycles, which can be extremely advantageous in industries like manufacturing or wholesale distribution.

Phygital is still relatively new, but is set to play a major role in the B2B space. By leveraging phygital, B2B commerce will provide more deeper and personal experiences for customers. 

B2B Commerce Will Expand Beyond Just B2B

B2B organizations are expanding into B2B2X business models, allowing them to serve wider audiences and increase revenue streams. In fact, sales for B2B2C grew 25% faster than traditional B2B sales. 

The shift in buyer behavior and digital platforms has made B2B2C possible, allowing for scalability. B2B2C has proven extremely successful in the Telecom, Fintech, and Manufacturing industries in particular. 

For the future, however, B2B2C will need to have these things in place to maintain and increase success: 

  • Integrated channels to communicate between partners, wholesalers, retailers, and end customers, while effectively managing multiple channels for consistent communication and sales. Utilizing additional digital channels, like Facebook Shops, also further expands your reach to more buyers and enhances the overall ecommerce experience.

  • Real-time data on orders, inventory, pricing, and customer information so that all channels are aligned.

  • Scalable technology that can handle both B2B and B2C business models and can grow to expand into new business verticals. It is also important to maintain your own set of product offerings and channels to retain control over your brand and customer relationships.

Although the B2B2C model can be beneficial for both your business and your customers, you’ll need a robust commerce platform to help you meet complex needs adequately, including collaborating with trusted partners to ensure platform reliability and growth.

The New Era of B2B Commerce 

The future of B2B commerce, while brimming with possibilities, will require your business to think carefully about your strategy and implementation plan. A modern ecommerce platform is essential for delivering a seamless experience and supporting omnichannel strategies that meet evolving buyer expectations.

How can you choose a B2B ecommerce solution that fits your business needs? Read this blog to learn more.

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