When it comes to product knowledge and technical service, there aren’t a lot of companies out there that can compete with most distributors.
But distributors across sectors still need to keep an eye on AmazonSupply and Google Shopping for Suppliers – two online platforms vying for a piece of the B-to-B pie. We examined their impact on distributors in the latest issue of MDM Premium. Read about it here.
The two platforms – with two different approaches, as we’ve discussed previously – do have an edge on some fronts, and as the generational shift continues, that edge will only become more pronounced.
Both AmazonSupply and Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) already have potential customers’ trust in the consumer space, and that will likely translate into the B-to-B market.
AmazonSupply, an arm of Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), benefits from Amazon’s user-friendly platform and its increasingly efficient distribution network. Amazon has long sacrificed profitability for building product reach and infrastructure, and in the long run it may pay off in both the consumer and business segments. It all depends on how – and whether – Amazon learns and adapts its model effectively in the B-to-B market.
Google Shopping for Suppliers, still in beta, has launched as a marketplace for manufacturers looking to sell their products, funneling potential buyers to suppliers that are a part of the network. Where does it win? Google’s reach in B-to-B is very limited right now, and it doesn’t win on much yet. But if it continues to build out its platform and attract more manufacturers who do have the ability to sell online, it will have an edge in – what else? – search results, which are becoming increasingly critical for all businesses.
Read more about AmazonSupply and Google’s impact on the wholesale distribution market in the latest issue of MDM Premium:
Also featured in the latest issue is the first in a series on industrial vending. Read that here:
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