Keeping the customer at the center is key to providing the product data a customer needs to find a product, then transact.
Marketplaces
From Master Distributors to Marketplaces: Part 1 – How Endless Assortment Moved from Behind the Scenes to in Front of the Customer
Marketplaces represent an existential challenge for master distributors.
Office Depot Hires the Amazon Business Team to Build a Rival Marketplace
As many distributors wonder how to respond to the breathtaking growth of Amazon Business, Office Depot has gone on to create what looks like a direct competitor.
The Risk That Marketplaces Pose to Your Distribution Business
Platforms are indeed “eating the world.” Most distributors can still choose whether they will do the eating or be the meal. This post previews some of the key findings in the second report, “Developing a Marketplace Strategy,” based on our research for the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW) into new leadership strategies for distributors to add value in…
Why B2B Marketplaces Are Booming Today
Despite early failure rates, B2B marketplaces mounted a major comeback and are rapidly outgrowing company-specific websites in many industries.
If Marketplaces are a Must, Should You Build Your Own?
Independent alternatives to third-party marketplaces like Amazon are emerging, and some distributors have found success selling through them. This has many wondering if they should build their own marketplaces.
The Difference Between Alibaba and Amazon: How Alibaba’s B2B Platform Works for Distributors
John Caplan talks about how Alibaba’s customer-focused business model may be a better digital marketplace for U.S. distributors than Amazon Business.
How to Fend Off Amazon with AI Strategies of Your Own
Amazon Business is projected to make $52 billion in sales by 2023. For distributors to fend off this AI-powered giant, they’ll need to understand and adopt AI strategies of their own.
Why Some Distribution Verticals Are More Vulnerable to Disruption
To understand how vulnerable a distribution vertical is to disruption, look at the relationship between the product category’s complexity and the ability for the distributor to deliver that product using common small-package carriers.
The 3 Ingredients You Need to Build a Successful Marketplace
Marketplaces are among the most successful business models of the modern era. From Amazon to Google to Grainger’s Zoro, there’s clearly good money in the marketplace.